ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and clinical correlates of anti-phospholipid
antibodies (aPL), including anti-cardiolipin antibodies (aCL), lupus anti-coagulant (LA), anti-
β2-glycoprotein 1 (aβ2GP1) and anti-prothrombin (aPT) antibodies, in Black South African
patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 100 SLE patients in whom clinical characteristics,
including features of the anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS), disease activity, and damage
were documented, and sera tested for aCL, aβ2GP, and aPT of all isotypes, and LA.
RESULTS: Positive aCL, aβ2GP1 and aPT and LA were found in 53, 84, 20, and 2 patients,
respectively. Immunoglobulin (Ig)A aCL and IgG aβ2GP1 were the commonest aCL (49.1%)
and aβ2GP1 (47%) isotypes, respectively. IgA aβ2GP1 were associated with both a history of
thrombosis alone (p<0.05) and a history of any clinical feature, thrombosis and/or
spontaneous abortion of the APS (p<0.05); IgA aCL were associated with a history of any
clinical APS event (p<0.05); and aβ2GPI of any isotype were associated with a history of
arthritis (p<0.001).
CONCLUSION: My findings provide further evidence that the screening for aβ2GP1 and IgA
aCL isotype may improve the risk assessment for APS in SLE patients of African extraction.
Further prospective studies are warranted to determine the clinical utility of these tests and to
elucidate the genetic basis for increased IgA aPL response in SLE patients of African
extraction.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/4708 |
| Date | 25 March 2008 |
| Creators | Gould, Trevor John |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 2375498 bytes, application/pdf, application/pdf |
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