Cardiolipin antibodies SLE - screening miscarriage

Antibodies to cardiolipin screening (CARDAK from serum) is used to exclude these antibodies so that the risk of miscarriage is not increased by them.

Screening measures total antibodies, (IgG, IgM) there is no breakdown of which antibodies are present IgG or IgM

Antibodies to cardiolipin can cause blood clotting to be too active, causing unwanted blood clots to form. These clots can lead to;

• a brain thrombosis,
• heart attack,
• pulmonary embolism,
• thrombosis or
• repeated miscarriages.

Normally, the body should not produce antibodies against cardiolipin

Anticardiolipin antibodies increase the risk of thrombosis, even at a young age. Sometimes thrombosis occurs in blood vessels where it normally rarely occurs, such as those in the liver or kidneys. Thrombosis can cause a heart attack, pulmonary embolism, or stroke. Such antibodies are also sometimes found in women who have experienced multiple miscarriages. This entire set of symptoms is called antiphospholipid syndrome. Antiphospholipid syndrome is an autoimmune disease characterized by certain abnormal blood test results combined with increased blood clotting, which can lead to thrombosis. In addition, patients with antiphospholipid syndrome may have a low platelet count and may experience more frequent pregnancy complications, such as recurrent miscarriages.

APS can occur on its own. 50% of APS patients have only APS. Approximately 30% of people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) also have APS.
If a person has only APS, the likelihood of subsequently developing SLE is low.

As with most autoimmune diseases, APS is more common in women than in men. 60% of patients are women, and 40% are men. The disease usually manifests between the ages of 20 and 40.
The disease is also known as Hughes syndrome. This name comes from the English physician Professor Hughes, who worked at the lupus clinic in London and was the first to describe the disease. The two names are sometimes used interchangeably, but the most common term worldwide is antiphospholipid syndrome, abbreviated as APS.

Antiphospholipid syndrome was not recognized as a distinct entity until 1985; as a result, not much is known about it yet, and very little information is available. Much more research is needed to better understand the disease and develop more effective treatments.

Circulating antibodies against phospholipids have attracted a great deal of attention in recent years due to their association with thrombotic processes, such as in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). They bind to phospholipids on platelets and the endothelium, leading to platelet aggregation due to reduced prostacyclin production by the vascular wall. For example, elevated antibody titers against cardiolipin—a mitochondrial phospholipid-containing antigen from cardiac muscle cells—have been detected in a large number of young patients with vascular occlusions.

Also available upon request:

• antibodies to cardiolipin (IgM)