Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome

Definition

Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome is a confounding immunologic disorders. Primary antiphospholipid antibody syndrome may be occurs due to the absence of other major autoimmune disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus. Because it is classified as secondary when it occurs in the presence other disorder such as SLE. It's an acquired autoimmune disorder defined by the presence of antibodies against phospholipids. One-third of patients with SLE also have antiphospholipid antibodies, and approximately one-third of those with antibodies have clinical signs of antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. It may be occur more frequently in women.

Causes of Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome

• The main cause of Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome is lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin antibodies. Because it may cause thrombosis. Antiphospholipid antibodies that are present in antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. The antibodies may also block the formation of pro stacyclin, which may leads to thrombosis and vasoconstriction.
• Thrombosis may also cause or lead to placental insufficiency. Placental vessel thrombosis and ischemia is a process that starts from the very earliest time in pregnancy and may also leads to a progressive decrease in fetal circulation. Early pregnancy loss may also be occur due to uteroplacental thrombosis and vasoconstriction that results from binding of the innnunogiobulins to both platelet and endothelial membrane phospholipids.

Symptoms of Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome

In antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, in which blood clots may affect any part of the body. Symptoms of this disease may include:

• Stroke and transient ischemic attack
• Myocardial infarction
• Kidney disease
• Livedo reticularis
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Leg ulcers
• Recurrent spontaneous abortion
• Labile hypertension
• Migraine
• Epilepsy
• Transverse myelopathy
• Thrombocytopenia
• Valvular heart disease
• Ocular ischemia

Treatment of Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome

• For the treatment of Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, it may include anticoagulation with heparin or warfarin. Treatment of asymptomatic patients may be use if you have disease with SLE, and family history of thromboembolism, or significant laboratory abnormalities.
• If you have catastrophic antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, then you should be use aggressive treatment with immunosuppression via plasmapheresis and I.V. cyclophosphamide.
• Another various treatments for antiphospholipid antibody syndrome during pregnancy such as  prednisone, heparin, azathioprine, aspirin, immunoglobulins, plasma exchange, and others. These treatments are thought to affect the immune and coagulation systems to counteract the adverse actions of antiphospholipid antibodies.
• Primary treatment of this disease that care providers must be aware that antiphospholipid antibody syndrome exists. Screening for antiphospholipid antibodies should be part of the investigation of women with recurrent spontaneous abortions. Awareness of available treatment options and patient education is also critical.