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Antiphospholipid antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis: Identifying the dominoes

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Abstract

Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) occur in a variety of autoimmune, malignant, and infectious diseases, with or without the thrombotic or obstetric sequelae that characterize the antiphospholipid syndrome. Although many studies have focused on the clinical implications of aPL in systemic lupus erythematosus, few have specifically addressed the questions facing rheumatologists caring for rheumatoid arthritis patients who are concomitantly positive for aPL. Such a clinical scenario requires current knowledge of antiphospholipid syndrome diagnosis criteria, test reliability, conditions causing temporal positivity of aPL, and treatment risks and benefits. Recently researched factors possibly integral to rheumatoid arthritis’s increased morbidity and mortality and related to aPL include oxidatively modified low-density lipoprotein antibodies, homocysteine, annexins, infectious agents, β estradiol, and specific gene polymorphisms. This review presents current scientific research addressing the pathophysiologic mechanisms and clinical implications of aPL in rheumatoid arthritis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 825 NE 13th, MB #54, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA

    Debbie A. Gladd

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  1. Debbie A. Gladd
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  2. Ewa Olech
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Correspondence to Debbie A. Gladd.

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Gladd, D.A., Olech, E. Antiphospholipid antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis: Identifying the dominoes. Curr Rheumatol Rep 11, 43–51 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11926-009-0007-3

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