Analysis of anticardiolipin antibody fluctuation and clinical manifestations in systemic lupus erythema-tosus patients / 中华风湿病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the association of fluctuation of anticardiolipin antibody (ACA) levels and clinical manifestations in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods Anticar-diolipin antibodies were measured sequentially by commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 85 SLE patients. Patients were classified into two groups group A was persistently positive for ACA, group B was transiently positive for ACA, and the clinical features of the two groups were compared. Results There were 37 patients (44%) in group A, and 48 (57%) patients in group B. 41% patients had occurred thromboeytopenia in group A, 19% patients in group B, the difference was significant (P<0.05); platelet accounts were (24±6)×109/L in group A,and (46±10)×109/L in group B, the difference was significant (P< 0.05), too. 11% patients experienced thrombosis in group A, and none in group B, the difference was significant (P<0.05). 19% in group A and 4% in group B had occurred valvular diseases, the difference was significant (P<0.05.). The prevalence of lupus anticoagulant was 32% in group A, 13% in group B and the difference was significant (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups in Raynaud's phenomenon, pulmonary hypertension, and lupus nephritis (P0.05). Conclusion Fluctuations of anticardio-lipin antibodies are asso-ciated with thrombosis, thrombocytopenia vascular disease and lupus anticoagulant however, there is no lack of association with other clinical manifestations in SLE patients.