Beta-2-glycoprotein I antibodies in patients with thrombosis.
The laboratory diagnosis of antiphospholipid antibody syndrome currently requires two consecutive positive results in either lupus anticoagulant or anticardiolipin antibody assays. Antibodies against beta-2-glycoprotein I (abeta2-GPI) are suggested as a new marker for the syndrome. The inclusion of abeta2-GPI in the official diagnostic criteria has so far been precluded owing to lack of an international standard and also technical difficulties. Samples from 5367 consecutive patients sent to a national reference laboratory mainly because of various thrombotic events were studied. An IgG abeta2-GPI ELISA assay was performed in addition to lupus anticoagulant (dRVVT and PTT-LA) and IgG anticardiolipin antibody determinations to evaluate patient groups in which the new assay might be of value. From a total of 90 patients, 2.2% of the samples were abeta2-GPI positive; 51 patients had abeta2-GPI as the only positive antiphospholipid antibody marker; 20 patients had had a venous thrombosis and 14 an arterial thrombosis, 4 had pregnancy complications and 2 had thrombocytopenia. Relatively young patients with cerebrovascular ischaemic events seemed especially to present sole abeta2-GPI positivity. The abeta2-GPI positivity remained fairly constant in the 23 patients from whom follow-up samples were taken. It is concluded that the IgG abeta2-GPI assay seems to be a potentially important additional diagnostic tool for the antiphospholipid antibody syndrome.
Department of Haemostasis, Finnish Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, Helsinki, Finland. frejaebeling@hotmail.com
F
F
Ebeling
T
T
Pettersson
L
L
Muukkonen
E
E
Vahtera
V
V
Rasi
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin / Q000097:blood; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid / Q000097:blood; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D053482:beta 2-Glycoprotein I
D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid; D015415:Biomarkers; D006023:Glycoproteins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D053482:beta 2-Glycoprotein I