Antiphospholipid Syndrome
Medical Author: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
Medical Editor: Kenneth Kaye, MD
What is antiphospholipid syndrome?
The antiphospholipid syndrome is a
disorder of the immune system that is characterized by excessive clotting of
blood and/or certain complications of pregnancy (premature miscarriages, unexplained fetal death, or premature birth) and
the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (cardiolipin or lupus anticoagulant
antibodies) in the blood. Patients with antiphospholipid syndrome have developed
abnormal symptoms while having antiphospholipid
antibodies that are detectable with blood testing.
Antiphospholipid syndrome is also called phospholipid antibody
syndrome. Antiphospholipid syndrome has been referred to as Hughes syndrome in honor of the doctor who first described it.
It is important to note that antiphospholipid antibodies
can also be found in the blood of individuals without any disease process. In
fact, antiphospholipid antibodies have been reported in approximately 2%
of the normal population. Harmless antiphospholipid antibodies can be detected
in the blood for a brief period occasionally in association with a wide variety
of conditions, including bacterial, viral (hepatitis, HIV), and parasite (malaria) infections.
Certain drugs can cause antiphospholipid antibodies to be produced in the blood,
including antibiotics, cocaine, hydralazine, procainamide, and quinine.
Nevertheless, the antiphospholipid antibody (a protein) is not
considered a normal blood protein and has been found in patients to be associated with
a number of illnesses. These illnesses include abnormal clotting
(thrombosis) of arteries (stroke, infarction) and/or veins (phlebitis), premature
miscarriages (spontaneous abortions), abnormally low blood platelet counts
(thrombocytopenia), purplish mottling discoloration of the skin (livedo reticularis), migraine headaches, and a rare
form of inflammation of the nervous tissue of the brain or spinal cord,
called transverse myelitis.
Antiphospholipid antibodies have also been detected in over half of patients
with the immune disease systemic
lupus erythematosus.
Researchers are recently also finding that there are
patients with slowly progressive memory problems and patients with a form of
"atypical multiple sclerosis" and antiphospholipid antibodies
detectable in their blood.
Next: What laboratory tests can support the diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome? »
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