Anti-phospholipid antibody

In the diagnosis of systemic rheumatic diseases, the term antiphospholipid antibody includes a variety of autoantibodies with different specificities. The target antigen is a negatively charged anionic phospholipid, such as cardiolipin. Their reactivity in the serum of autoimmune patients requires cofactors (& beta; 2-glycoprotein I, or apolipoprotein H). Anti-phospholipid antibodies can cause false positive responses to syphilis tests, that is, VDRL-positive or borrelia-specific antibody tests are negative and cardiolipin-complement fixation tests are positive. In addition, it can cause lupus anticoagulation, leading to prolonged APTT.

The material in this site is intended to be of general informational use and is not intended to constitute medical advice, probable diagnosis, or recommended treatments.