Anticardiolipin antibodies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA) were assayed by ELISA in 73 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Twelve (16.48%) patients showed levels of ACA three standard deviations above the value of the control group and were considered positive; these patients were compared to the group with ACA within the normal levels regarding the following clinical and laboratorial characteristics: spontaneous abortions, central nervous system involvement, systematization and activity of disease, alterations in platelet counts, presence of antinuclear antibodies and rheumatoid factor. Significant statistical association could be demonstrated between systematization and presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and positiveness to ACA (IgG, IgM or both). These findings might indicate that ACA in patients with RA could have relevance to morbidity of disease or perhaps to its pathogenesis.

Antiphospholipid antibodies and RA: presence of β2GP1 independent aCL

“…7 We found no association with clinical manifestations such as thrombotic events,8 or extra-articular manifestations,6 9 or with other autoantibodies (ANA) 79 The relation between IgM β 2 GP1 antibodies and RA remains to be determined; it might be due to non-specific binding with RF.…”