title: Association of anti-phospholipid antibodies with connective tissue diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The antiphospholipid antibodies (APLA) are directed against phospholipids and their binding proteins and are frequently found in association with connective tissue disorders. Systemic lupus erythematoses (SLE) with APLA may cause a diagnostic dilemma as there are several manifestations like haemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, neurologic manifestations, leg ulcerations, serositis proteinuria which overlap in both these conditions. We conducted a study to find out the association of antiphospholipid antibodies with connective tissue diseases and compared the clinical and laboratory parameters between antiphoshpolipid antibody positive and antiphoshpolipid antibody negative group.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was carried out in 102 patients diagnosed with connective tissue diseases. APLA testing was done at baseline and for those positive, the test was repeated after 12 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  14.7 % of patients with connective tissue diseases tissue had positive antiphoshpolipid antibodies. Positive antiphoshpolipid antibody was detected in 73.3% of patients with SLE group, 13.3% of patients with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) and 13.3% of patients with systemic sclerosis. APLA positivity was seen in SLE patients with leg ulcers (87.2%), neurologic manifestation (72.7%), hemolytic anemia (62.3%), thrombocytopenia (72.7%), serositis (27.8%) and proteinuria(19.6%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Antiphoshpolipid antibodies should be tested in all patients with connective tissue disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, PSG Hospitals, Peelamedu, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Reena
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rai
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, PSG Hospitals, Peelamedu, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Swetha
keywords: Antiphospholipid antibodies; antiphospholipid syndrome; connective tissue disease
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