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New Tests to Detect Antiphospholipid Antibodies: Antiprothrombin (aPT) and Anti-Phosphatidylserine/Prothrombin (aPS/PT) Antibodies

  • ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID SYNDROME (D ERKAN, SECTION EDITOR)
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Abstract

Antiprothrombin antibodies have been proposed as potential new biomarkers for thrombosis and/or pregnancy morbidity in the setting of the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Antiprothrombin antibodies are commonly detected by ELISA, using prothrombin coated onto irradiated plates (aPT), or prothrombin in complex with phosphatidylserine (aPS/PT), as antigen. Although these antibodies can co-exist in the same patient, aPT and aPS/PT seem to belong to different populations of autoantibodies. Early research explored the role of antibodies to prothrombin as potential antigenic targets for the lupus anticoagulant (LA). To date their clinical significance is being investigated and their potential role in identifying patients at higher risk of developing thrombotic events or pregnancy morbidity is being probed.

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Acknowledgement

Maria Laura Bertolaccini is funded by the Louise Gergel Fellowship.

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Conflict of Interest

Savino Sciascia, Munther A. Khamashta and Maria Laura Bertolaccini declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graham Hughes Lupus Research Laboratory, Lupus Research Unit, Division of Women’s Health, King’s College London, The Rayne Institute, 4th Floor Lambeth Wing, St Thomas’ Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK

    Savino Sciascia, Munther A. Khamashta & Maria Laura Bertolaccini

  2. Centro di Ricerche di Immunologia Clinica ed Immunopatologia e Documentazione su Malattie Rare (CMID), Università di Torino, Torino, Italy

    Savino Sciascia

  3. Louise Coote Lupus Unit, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, St Thomas’ Hospital, London, UK

    Munther A. Khamashta

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  1. Savino Sciascia
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  2. Munther A. Khamashta
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Correspondence to Maria Laura Bertolaccini.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Antiphospholipid Syndrome

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Sciascia, S., Khamashta, M.A. & Bertolaccini, M.L. New Tests to Detect Antiphospholipid Antibodies: Antiprothrombin (aPT) and Anti-Phosphatidylserine/Prothrombin (aPS/PT) Antibodies. Curr Rheumatol Rep 16, 415 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11926-014-0415-x

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