Antibodies against b2 glycoprotein I in Patients with Some Diffuse Connective Tissue Diseases

Overview

The authors examined, using a new method of the ELISA test for assessment of antibodies againstbeta2 glycoprotein I (b2-GPI), 142 serum samples from patients with various diffuse connective tissuediseases. 72 samples were continuously collected from patients with SLE or some clinical orlaboratory manifestations of the antiphospholipid syndrome. Other serum samples came froma serum bank of an immunological laboratory. Thirty cases of SLE were involved, 20 cases of systemicscleroderma and 20 cases of polymyositis/dermatomyositis. All sera were also examined for thepresence of anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL). The results of the two methods were compared.A considerable degree of correlation of results of the two tests was found. However, several differentresults indicate that by the test for anti-b2 glycoprotein antibodies other members of the group ofheterogeneous antiphospholipid antibodies can be detected. In particular for establishment of thediagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) it is useful to assess in addition to the lupusanticoagulans (LA) and anticardiolipin antibodies also antibodies against b2-glycoprotein I.

Key words:
antiphospholipid syndrome, anticardiolipin antibodies, antibodies against beta2-gly-coprotein I