REVIEW

Antiphospholipid antibodies and infections

R A Asherson¹, R Cervera²

¹ Rheumatic Diseases Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town School of Medicine and Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
² Department of Autoimmune Diseases, Institut Clínic d’Infeccions i Immunologia, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr R Cervera, Servei de Malalties Autoimmunes, Hospital Clínic, Villarroel, 170. 08036 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain;
rcervera{at}clinic.ub.es

Many infections have been found to be associated with antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL), although a pathogenic role for these antibodies has not usually been obvious except in a few isolated cases. Two types of aPL have been referred to as "autoimmune" and "infectious" types. This distinction, however, has subsequently been found not to be absolute.

Keywords: antiphospholipid antibodies; infections

Abbreviations: aCL, anticardiolipin antibodies; AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; aPL, antiphospholipid antibodies; APS, antiphospholipid syndrome; CMV, cytomegalovirus; EBV, Epstein-Barr virus; HCV, hepatitis C virus; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; HTLV, human T lymphotrophic virus; LA, lupus anticoagulant; PHT, pulmonary hypertension; SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus; TTP, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura; VDRL, Venereal Disease Research Laboratory test

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