Prevalence of anticardiolipin antibodies in various thrombotic conditions: a hospital-based study.
Thrombosis is one of the leading cause of death, globally, anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) has been implicated as one of the most common acquired protein defect causing thrombosis. This study was undertaken to evince the incidence of aCL in various thrombotic settings.


METHODS
Three hundred and two patients were retrospectively screened for the incidence of aCL The sera were screened for aCL IgG using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Detail clinical and epidemiological data were obtained from hospital records and clinical examination.


RESULTS
Among the 302 patients, 134 (44.37%) were below the age of 40 years (juvenile-onset thrombosis), mean age being 35.3 years. High titres of aCL IgG was seen in 65 (20.77%) patients. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT), seen in 90 (29.8%) was the most common thrombotic condition. Other sites of thrombosis were coronary artery (19.2%), central nervous system territory arteries (17.21%) and peripheral arteries (5.29%); the incidence of aCL IgG in these sites were 13.79%, 25.0% and 18.75% respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
aCL is the most common acquired thrombophilic defect. Epidemiological data of our population is required for evaluating the strategy for further research of thrombosis in this condition.
Department of Immunology, MS Ramaiah Medical College, Bangalore.
S
S
Chandrashekhara
R
R
Kirthi
Joyce
J
Varghese
D000328:Adult; D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*
D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin; D007074:Immunoglobulin G