title: Antiphospholipid antibodies before and after liver transplantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine whether liver transplantation of patients with antiphospholipid antibodies (APA) is 1) adversely affected with vascular thrombosis and 2) whether such antibodies persist post transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve patients with APA awaiting transplant were identified and characterized biochemically and immunologically. Each had the level of APA determined using commercially available enzyme-linked immunoassay kits before, during, and after liver transplantation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No patient in this series experienced a transplant-related vascular thrombosis. The titer of APA fell to levels at or below those present in normals and remained low in two of 12 or undetectable in 10 of 12 patients 1 yr after liver transplantation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We reached the following conclusions: 1) Antiphospholipid positivity does not identify patients at high risk for post-transplant vascular thrombosis. 2) The levels of antiphospholipid present in sera pretransplant fell during transplantation and remained low or undetectable 1 month and 1 yr post transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Van Thiel
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brems
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Holt
authors.forename: Qianlong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Edelstein
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Amiral
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tarasuk
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Leone
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000276:immunology; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010978:Platelet Factor 4 / Q000276:immunology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000276:immunology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid; D010978:Platelet Factor 4