Anticardiolipin Antibodies in Patients with Cancer: A Case–Control Study

Abstract

Antiphospholipid antibodies are highly prevalent in autoimmune diseases and mainly associated with thromboembolic events, which is one of the major reasons for cancer-related mortality. Confirmed adult cancer patients were included (n = 40) with an equal number of age- and sex-matched healthy controls. The presence and concentration of anticardiolipin antibodies were investigated by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using the venous blood samples. aCL antibodies were detected in 60.0% (n = 24) of the cancer patients compared to none in the healthy controls (p < 0.001). The serum concentration of aCL antibodies was significantly higher in cancer patients than controls (p < 0.001) and ranged from 89.0 U/mL to 133.0 U/mL among the aCL-positive patients. All the lung cancer patients (n = 6) were diagnosed with positive aCL, and a borderline significant association of aCL antibody positivity was observed in colon cancer patients (p = 0.051). About 72.7% of the advanced-stage cancer individuals and 81.8% of the cancer patients who underwent surgery were diagnosed with positive aCL antibodies. A significant association of aCL antibody positivity was observed with cancer patients comorbid with heart diseases (p = 0.005). The prevalence and serum levels of aCL antibodies were significantly higher in cancer patients compared to healthy controls. Cancer patients (i.e., lung, liver, and colon), at advanced-stage, comorbid with heart diseases, who underwent surgery, were more likely to be diagnosed with aCL antibodies.

Criteria and Non-Criteria Antiphospholipid Antibodies and Cancer in Patients with Involuntary Weight Loss

“…Our results were concordant to the ones of previous research regarding the connection of aCL with gastrointestinal cancers [17]. High prevalences of aCL were also described in pulmonary cancer patients [38], though, in this aspect, the present study did not obtain similar findings.…”

Cancer-associated ischemic stroke: current knowledge and future directions

“…25,26 Antiphospholipid antibodies appear to be highly prevalent among patients with active cancer and are associated with the development of thrombotic events. [27][28][29][30] Diffusion-weighted-imaging patterns on magnetic resonance imaging showing the involvement of multiple vascular territories in individuals with cancer suggest a central embolic source, and may point to cancer-associated coagulopathy as the underlying mechanism. 31,32 Cancer-associated hypercoagulability can manifest as stroke through unconventional mechanisms including non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE) and or paradoxical embolism through right-to-left intra-cardiac shunt (i.e., patent foramen ovale).…”