Volumen: 6 # Number : 2
Publication Date : Mayo - Agosto Year: 2002
Authors: Ricardo R. Forastiero, Alicia N. Blanco, Ana M. Otero
Abstract: The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is characterized by venous or arterial thrombosis, and/of fetal loss or recurrent abortions in patients with positive test for antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). The evaluation of aPL includes clotting assays for lupus anticoagulant (LA) activity and immunoassays for detection of anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL). Several attempts were made to standarize these assays, but problems in obtaining comparable results still exist. To get knowledge about this point in Latin America, the Comittee on APS from the CLAHT Gruop performed an inter-laboratory survey in two steps. The first was to distribute a questionaire focussing on the detailed methodology for LA and aCL applied to patient with suspicion of APS, and the second was the distribution of 12 blind sera in order to compare the aCL results obtained by the different centers with those determined by the committee. Twenty-seven laboratories fulfilled the questionnaire and 20 of 24 centers, wich accepted to participate, sent their results on aCL IgG and IgM (mainly obtained by commercial kits) from the different laboratories compared to those obtained in the coordinator center by the standard in house ELISA method. The consensus improved when results were compared considering negative (negative or low positivity for aCL) and positive (medium or high positivity for aCL) criteria for APS. Our data show that due to the lack of reproducibility observed for aCL, further efforts to emprve assay methodologies and international guidelines are needed particulary considering that LA as well as aCL are the laboratory criteria for APS.
Key words: anticardiolipin antibodies, lupus anticoagulant, antiphospholipid syndrome, antiphospholipid antibodies
Pages : 27-35
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