Article Text
Abstract
Aim: To investigate the clinical significance of anti-factor XII (FXII) in a large cohort of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Patients and methods: This study comprised 127 patients with SLE. IgG and IgM anti-FXII were tested by an in-house ELISA. 123 healthy donors comprised the control group.
Results: 51 (40%) patients with SLE and 9 (7%) healthy controls were positive for anti-FXII. IgG and IgM anti-FXII were frequently found in patients with thrombosis (28% and 13%, respectively). Levels of IgG and IgM anti-FXII were higher in patients with thrombosis than in the control group (p<0.001 and p = 0.005, respectively). Anti-FXII was more frequent in patients with arterial thrombosis (31% vs 4% for IgG and 14% vs 3% for IgM, respectively) and venous thrombosis than in controls (37% vs 4% for IgG). IgG anti-FXII were more frequent in patients with miscarriages and fetal death (35% and 40% vs 4% for IgM). The prevalence of IgM anti-FXII was not different between groups.
Conclusion: Anti-FXII are frequent in patients with SLE. Their presence is associated with thrombosis and adverse obstetric history, making these antibodies a novel marker for the antiphospholipid syndrome.
- aCL, anticardiolipin antibodies
- aPL, antiphospholipid antibodies
- aPS–PT, antibodies to phosphatidylserine–prothrombin complex
- aPT, antiprothrombin antibodies
- BBS, borate-buffered saline
- FXII, factor XII
- LA, lupus anticoagulant
- SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus
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Footnotes
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Published Online First 4 October 2006
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Funding: MLB is funded by the Louise Gergel Fellowship.
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Competing interests: None declared.