Clinical course of high-risk patients diagnosed with antiphospholipid syndrome

Pengo, V;Ruffatti, A;Legnani, C;Gresele, P;BARCELLONA, DORIS;Erba, N;Testa, S;MARONGIU, FRANCESCO;Bison, E;Denas, G;Banzato, A;Jose, SP;Iliceto, S.

2010-01-01

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Abstract

Abstract BACKGROUND: The characteristics and the clinical course of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) in high-risk patients that are positive for all three recommended tests that detect the presence of antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies have not been described. METHODS: This retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data examined patients referred to Italian Thrombosis Centers that were diagnosed with definite APS and tested positive for aPL [lupus anticoagulant (LA), anti-cardiolipin (aCL), and anti-beta2-glycoprotein I (beta2GPI) antibodies]. Laboratory data were confirmed in a central reference laboratory. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty patients were enrolled in this cohort study. The qualifying events at diagnosis were venous thromboembolism (76 cases; 47.5%), arterial thromboembolism (69 cases; 43.1%) and pregnancy morbidity (11 cases; 9.7%). The remaining four patients (2.5%) suffered from catastrophic APS. The cumulative incidence of thromboembolic events in the f...