Increased B-cell activating factor (BAFF)/B-lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS) in primary antiphospholipid syndrome is associated with higher adjusted global antiphospholipid syndrome scores

Abstract

### Key messages #### What is already known about this subject? #### What does this study add? #### How might this impact on clinical practice? Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterised by antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL), thrombosis and obstetric complications. Other manifestations seen in APS include thrombocytopenia, heart valve disease and leg ulcers. APS was first described in patients suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, APS may also affect patients not suffering from SLE or another underlying disease, termed primary APS (PAPS). Current treatment strategies for APS relying on anticoagulants are suboptimal, particularly for non-thrombotic manifestations and immunomodulatory drugs have been suggested as potential novel drug candidates in APS.1 2 B-cell activating factor (BAFF), also known as B-lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS), is an important growth factor for B cells. The importance of BAFF in SLE is supported by animal models as mice transgenic for BAFF spontaneously develop SLE-like autoimmunity including the production of antibodies against double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA).3 In …