Abstract
We examined the association of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL), including VDRL, anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) and lupus anticoagulants (LA), with clinical features of 57 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In addition, the effects of prednisolone (PSL) treatment on levels of the antibodies were retrospectively determined in this study.
Out of the 57 patients with SLE, VDRL, aCL and LA were detected in 45.6%, 26.3% and 54.4%, respectively. A significant correlation was found between the result of VDRL and that of LA.
Activated partial thromboplastin time (a-PTT) significantly prolonged in the patients with positive result of either VDRL or LA. Thrombocytopenia or the other clinical feature of aPL syndrome such as recurrent abortions and vascular occulusive diseases was significantly frequent in the patients with LA. Furthermore, we found that the numbers of aPL detected were correlated with those of the clinical features of aPL syndrome.
Titers of the three aPL (VDRL, aCL and a-PTT) were relatively stable in patients with antiplatelet agent or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. However, PSL treatment, higher than 30mg/day, consistently lowered the titers of each aPL.
These results indicate that aPL should measured by different methods for the diagnosis and management of aPL syndrome, and that PSL, higher than 30mg/day, is effective when aPL titers must be lowered.
