Remembrances of predictions past

Abstract

It is an honor—indeed thrilling—to be asked to predict the future of the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). It would be even more thrilling had not the preceding chapters, and the creation of the consortium that inspired this volume, not done my assignment for me. The pages that precede these, written by some of the best people working in the field, draw roadmap for the next decade that is as good as any I could have drawn on my own. Nevertheless, I will try to respond to the challenge. Twice before, in 2000 and in 2006, I tried to predict the future of APS. First, I wrote that the challenges in 2000 were: to distinguish clinically between APS and the genetic coagulopathies, to understand the relationship between antibody and clinical illness, to learn the molecular features of antigen and antibody that might lead to thrombosis, to develop animal models, and to establish consortia for clinical trials.