Researchers are finding that antigens from the microbiota may play a role in the development of autoimmunity.
Hope for Live Births in Women with Antiphospholipid Syndrome
For women with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), treatment with a combination of heparin and aspirin during pregnancy—rather than aspirin alone—may increase live birth rates, according to new research.
Risk Assessment & Treatment in Antiphospholipid Syndrome Patients
CHICAGO—Choosing a treatment for antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) involves an array of factors, from the antibodies present to their titers to other risk factors, said Lisa Sammaritano, MD, during a guided tour of APS treatment at the 2019 ACR State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium, held April 5–7. Dr. Sammaritano, associate attending physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery,…
Risk Assessment & Treatment in APS Patients
The pathogenesis of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is complicated and may involve local inflammation, vasculopathy, pregnancy complications and thrombosis. During the 2019 ACR State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium, Lisa Sammaritano, MD, addressed the risk assessment and treatment of APS patients…
Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome: Much Remains to be Learned
CHICAGO—Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) mainly affects young women, but can also affect men. APS patients test positive for multiple antibodies, including lupus anticoagulant (LAC), anti-cardiolipin and/or anti-beta2-glycoprotein I. These antibodies are diagnostic of APS, and they place the patient at increased risk for thrombosis and, in women, pregnancy morbidity. Women with LAC or those who…
Is Hydroxychloroquine Helpful for Patients with Antiphospholipid Syndrome?
Hydroxychloroquine is not currently used to treat patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). But new research in APS-induced mice shows hydroxychloroquine may improve endothelium-dependent dilation and reduce reactive oxygen species generation…
Antiphospholipid Syndrome: The Risk of Travel at High Altitudes
Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune clotting disorder that may present catastrophically with multiple thromboses over a short period of time. In this article, we examine the case of a woman with undiagnosed APS whose first symptoms presented during a long-haul flight. A review of the literature on thrombosis at high altitudes and during long…
Potential Biomarker for APS Identified
New research examines the role of factor Xa in the pathology of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and systemic lupus erythematosus-associated APS. Researchers found that FXa stimulation was mediated by protease-activated receptors and enhanced by IgG from FXa reactive antibody positive patients, which may make IgG FXa reactivity a novel biomarker for future research…
Advancements in Diagnosis, Treatment for Antiphospholipid Syndrome
CHICAGO—Doruk Erkan, MD, MPH, a rheumatologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery and Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, described recent developments in the field of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) to the rheumatologists gathered for the ACR’s State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium in April. He introduced APS as a “field with limited data and lots of controversies,” although,…
New Assays May Help in the Diagnosis & Management of Antiphospholipid Syndrome
A new study found that measuring the presence of additional antibodies specific for Domain I (aDI) of β2-glycoprotein (β2GPI) may improve the diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome. Based on their findings, researchers conclude that aDI tests may be a useful addition to, but not a replacement for, standard aβ2GPI tests…