Antibodies to anionic phospholipids and cofactors in kala-azar. Comparative study with malaria, toxoplasmosis and "autoimmune diseases".
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the distribution of various anti-anionic and anti-cofactor phospholipid antibodies in children with kala-azar, and to compare them to malaria, toxoplasmosis and auto-immune disease.


METHODS
The frequency and the concentration of antibodies against cardiolipin (aCL), phosphatidylserine (aPS), phosphatidylinositol (aPI), phosphatidic acid (aPA), Beta2GPI (anti-Beta2GPI), prothrombin (aPT), annexin V (aAnnV), protein C (aPnC) and protein S (aPnS) were studied in sera from 103 children with kala-azar and compared with malaria (n=32), toxoplasmosis (n=31), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (n=40) and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) (n=35).


RESULTS
The prevalence of aCL, aPS, aPI, aPA, anti-Beta2GPI, aPT, aAnnV, aPnC and aPnS was 54%, 56%, 43%, 28%, 73%, 67%, 55%, 30%, 25%, respectively. Ninety-three per cent of children with kala-azar (96/103) had one or more aPL specificities, but none had thromboses. The spectrum of aPL was quite similar to that found in patients with SLE and APS.


CONCLUSIONS
Antiphospholipid antibodies are a frequent finding in kala-azar. The aPL produced mimic those found in autoimmune disease. However, further studies are required to assess the exact role of these aPL during leishmaniasis.
Skouri
H
H
Laboratoire d'hématologie et banque du sang (03/UR/0818). CHU Sahloul. 4000 Sousse. Tunisia.
Gandouz
R
R
Kraiem
I
I
Harrabi
I
I
Ben Said
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid / Q000097:blood*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000276:immunology; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid