Clinical importance of antibodies against platelet activating factor in antiphospholipid syndrome manifestations
Authors: Tektonidou M.G.1; Petrovas C.A.1; Ioannidis J.P.A.3; Vlachoyiannopoulos P.G.1; Moutsopoulos H.M.1, *
Source: European Journal of Clinical Investigation, Volume 30, Number 7, July 2000 , pp. 646-652(07)
Publisher: Blackwell Publishing
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Abstract:
BackgroundWe assessed whether antibodies against platelet activating factor (PAF) are related to the presence of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) clinical manifestations, in particular thrombosis, in patients with connective tissue diseases.
Materials and methodsAnti-PAF, anticardiolipin (aCL), anti
2 glycoprotein I (anti2GPI) and antiphosphatidylcholine (anti-PC) antibodies were determined in 52 patients with APS, 29 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) aCL but without APS, 30 patients with SLE without aCL, and 30 patients with scleroderma. A new enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for determining anti-PAF antibodies in a bovine serum-free fashion.
The ELISA showed high specificity. Homologous inhibition experiments showed 60–70% inhibition. Anti-PAF antibodies were found in 18/52 APS patients, 10/29 SLE/aCL+ patients, 9/30 SLE/aCL- patients and 3/30 scleroderma patients. Anti-PAF antibodies were significantly associated with anti-PC antibodies (odds ratio [OR] 12.7, P < 0.01), and there was a modest association with immunoglobulin G (IgG) aCL (OR 3.1, P > 0.10), but not with IgM aCL or anti2GPI. Three SLE/aCL+ patients and five SLE/aCL- patients had clinical manifestations characteristic of APS. All these patients had anti-PAF antibodies, while none had high titres of aCL or anti2GPI antibodies and only one had anti-PC antibodies. Among the combined APS and SLE groups, the presence of anti-PAF antibodies was significantly associated with clinical manifestations which are characteristic of APS (OR 2.6, P = 0.02). The effect was independent of IgG aCL and anti2GPI antibodies.
Anti-PAF antibodies are common in APS and SLE and comprise an independent factor for the development of thrombosis. Several patients experiencing thromboses have anti-PAF antibodies without other antiphospholipid specificities.
Keywords: Antiphospholipid syndrome; autoantibodies; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; platelet activating factor; systemic lupus erythematosus; thrombosis
Language: English
Document Type: Research article
Affiliations: 1: National University of Athens, Greece 3: Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, USA *
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