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Cerebrovascular insult and antiphospholipid antibodies in young adults

Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) are strongly associated with arterial and/or venous thrombosis and recurrent foetal loss. The only neurological manifestation satisfying the diagnostic criteria for the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is ischemic cerebrovascular insult (CVI). Because of previous contradicting reports on the association between aPL and CVI, we examined the occurrence of different aPL in a group of patients with CVI without an evident systemic autoimmune disease. 39 patients (26 women, 13 men, all under 40 years) were included in study. Blood withdrawal was performed twice after CVI at least 8 weeks apart. Sera were tested by enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for the presence of IgG, IgM and IgA anti-cardiolipin (aCL), anti-β2-glycoproteinI (aβ2GPI), anti-prothrombin (aPT) and anti-annexin V (aANXV) antibodies. Increased levels of IgG aCL were found in 3(8%) patients and for IgA aβ2GPI in 1 (3%). In all aCL and aβ2GPI positive CVI patients only low positive levels of antibodies were detected. aPT were completely absent while aANXV were detected in 4 (10%) patients (3 had IgG and one IgM). aPL directed against serum antigens did not appear with a significant frequency in the studied group of CVI patients. But aANXV, directed against a tissue protein, might be important as one of the possible markers in at least some patients with CVI.

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Cucnik, S., Gaspersic, N., Rot, U. et al. Cerebrovascular insult and antiphospholipid antibodies in young adults. Arthritis Res Ther 4 (Suppl 1), 79 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1186/ar524

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