Antiphospholipid syndrome

Abstract

Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) are autoantibodies directed against negatively charged phospholipid/plasma proteins. The most common plasma protein target is beta 2 glycoprotein I. The three most im-portant antiphospholipid antibodies are the lupus anti-coagulant, anticardiolipin, and anti-beta 2 glycoprotein I. Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is one of the most common acquired causes of hypercoagulability. Fifty percent of APS patients have systemic lupus erythe-matosus (SLE). APS presents in two major ways: thrombosis (venous or arterial) and pregnancy loss. Thrombocytopenia, present in about 20% of cases, can be an important clue. © 2008 Springer-Verlag New York.