Abstract
Antiphospholipid syndrome is a multisystem autoimmune disease, characterized by recurrent vascular thrombosis and/or pregnancy losses in the presence of persistently positive antiphospholipid antibodies. In clinical practice, testing for anticardiolipin antibodies and lupus anticoagulant is mandatory for the laboratory diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome. Identification of patients with antiphospholipid syndrome is important, as prophylactic anticoagulant therapy may prevent thrombosis from recurring, and treatment during pregnancy can improve fetal and maternal outcome.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
ML Bertolaccini is funded by the Louise Gergel Fellowship. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.
Notes
*Definite antiphospholipid syndrome is considered to be present if at least one clinical and one laboratory criteria are met.
‡Positivity should be present on two or more occasions at least 12 weeks apart for any of the tests.
aCL: Anticardiolipin antibody; ISTH: International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis.
Data from Citation[24].