THE RELATIONSHIP OF ANTICARDIOLIPIN ANTIBODIES TO DISEASE ACTIVITY IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS |
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Authors: | COOPER, ROSEMARY C. KLEMPt, P. STIPP, C. J. BRINK, STEFANIE |
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Affiliation: | *Department of Medical Microbiology,Tygerberg Hospital, University of Stellenbosch Cape Town, Republic of South Africa
Rheumatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine,Tygerberg Hospital, University of Stellenbosch Cape Town, Republic of South Africa
Department of Medical Informatics, Tygerberg Hospital, University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town, Republic of South Africa |
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Abstract: | Sera from 124 blood donors, 60 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and57 SLE patients were measured for anticardiolipin antibodiesby ELISA. Significantly raised IgG (aCLG) and IgM (aCLM) anticardiolipinantibody levels were found in RA and SLE (p<0.0005). However,in SLE, both aCLG and aCLM levels were significantly higherthan in RA (p<0.0025). We then conducted a transectionalstudy to evaluate aCL levels and disease activity in SLE. Therewas a good positive predictive value (70%) between aCL and overalldisease activity, but not for individual systems. A strong associationbetween aCL and renal involvement irrespective of activity wasalso found (80%). Nine SLE patients fulfilled both the clinicaland serological criteria for the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS)and a further 18 patients fulfilled the serological criteriafor APS. Results indicate that aCL levels are of value in predictingoverall disease activity in SLE and in monitoring those patientswho fulfil or partially fulfil the criteria for APS. KEY WORDS: Anticardiolipin antibodies, Systemic lupus erythematosus, Disease activity |
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