title: Anti-cardiolipin and anti-beta2-glycoprotein I (beta2GP-I) antibody assays as screening for anti-phospholipid syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Antiphospholipid antibodies are a family of autoantibodies that exhibit a broad range of target specificities and affinities, all recognizing various combinations of phospholipids, phospholipid binding proteins or both.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the frequency of anticardiolipin (aCL) or anti-beta-2 glycoprotein I (anti-beta2GPI) antibodies in a cohort of patients with primary (PAPS) and secondary (SAPS) antiphospholipid syndrome and other rheumatic and infectious conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sera were drawn from 226 patients with PAPS (n= 66), SAPS (n= 60), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (n= 30), scleroderma (SSc) (n= 30) or syphilis (n= 30). IgG, IgM, IgA aCL and anti-beta2GPI antibodies were determined for all patients. We employed Varelisa diagnostic kits (Pharmacia Diagnostics GmbH & Co.KG, Germany).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In APS patients: aCL and anti-betaGP1 antibodies were detected in 81.8% and 70% in PAPS and SAPS patients, respectively. In PAPS, aCL were detected in 71.2%, and anti-beta2GP1 in 50% of patients. In SAPS, aCL were detected in 63.3%, and anti-beta2GP1 in 53.3% of patients. In syphilis, aCL and anti-beta2GP1 antibodies were detected in 46.7% of patients in low levels: aCL in 36.7% and anti-beta2GP1 in 20% of patients. aCL antibodies were detected in 10%, 13.3%, and 0% of RA patients, SSc patients, and healthy persons, respectively. Anti-beta2GP1 antibodies were not detected in RA patients, SSc patients, and healthy persons.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  aCL and anti-beta2GP1 antibodies are more frequently found in sera of APS patients, and can be found in low levels in syphilis. Anti-beta2GP1 assay found to be more specific than aCL in antiphospholipid antibodies determination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine B, Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Center, Tel- Hashomer, Israel.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marai
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gilburd
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blank
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shoenfeld
mesh_terms: D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D002308:Cardiolipins / Q000276:immunology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000276:immunology; D013587:Syphilis / Q000276:immunology; D053482:beta 2-Glycoprotein I
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D002308:Cardiolipins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D053482:beta 2-Glycoprotein I