Internal Medicine News & Articles

1 Intracranial hypertension and antiphospholipid antibodies International Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, April 2, 2013
Martin-Sune N et al. - antiphospholipid syndrome is a clinical entity defined by vascular events and circulating antiphospholipid antibodies in peripheral blood. Intracranial hypertension has been associated with venous thrombosis in patients suffering from antiphospholipid syndrome. The authors present the case of a patient with intracranial hypertension probably related to antiphospholipid antibodies and without venous thrombosis.

2 Discontinuation of anticoagulation or antiaggregation treatment may be safe in patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome when antiphospholipid antibodies became persistently negative Immunologic Research, April 23, 2013
Bazán EC et al. - Recommended treatment for patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) after a thrombotic event is long-term anticoagulation. The authors described the follow-up of 11 primary APS patients whose aPL become persistently negative and in whom thromboprophylaxis was discontinued. No new thrombotic episode was observed after a median follow-up period of 20 months. Anticoagulation or antiaggregation could be discontinued in some peculiar patients ...

3 Clinical significance of IgA anti-cardiolipin and IgA anti-β2glycoprotein I antibodies Current Rheumatology Reports, June 13, 2013
Andreoli L et al. - IgA antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) are not currently recognized as formal laboratory criteria for the antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS). This is mainly due to methodological issues (different study designs, use of various non-standardized IgA assays). Such a clinical relevance has been recently recognized by the inclusion of these autoantibodies among the aPL tests in the novel SLICC classification criteria for SLE. Emerging interest has been raised by IgA ...

4 Valvular Heart Disease in Antiphospholipid Syndrome Current Rheumatology Reports, March 4, 2013
Zuily S et al. - The presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients is associated with a threefold greater risk of heart valve disease (HVD), confirming the crucial importance of these antibodies in the pathogenic process, leading to thrombotic manifestations on valves because of hypercoagulability. Natural history is characterized by worsening of HVD over time with an increased risk for stroke. antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) patients ...

5 The Pathogenesis of the Antiphospholipid Syndrome New England Journal of Medicine, March 15, 2013
Giannakopoulos B et al. - The antiphospholipid syndrome is a prothrombotic disorder associated with autoantibodies. It is associated with obstetrical complications (mainly spontaneous abortion) as well as venous and arterial thrombotic risks. Insights into disease mechanisms have led to new therapies.

6 Seronegative antiphospholipid syndrome Rheumatology, March 20, 2013
Nayfe R et al. - APS is an autoimmune disease that leads to arterial and/or venous thrombosis, recurrent pregnancy loss and persistently positive aPLs. Patients with clinical manifestations highly suggestive of APS but persistently negative conventional aPLs are classified as having seronegative APS. Ongoing research has revealed the existence of non-criteria antibodies proposed to be relevant to APS and that can be potentially included in the disease’s classification ...

7 Unusual association between Budd-Chiari syndrome secondary to antiphospholipid syndrome and relapsing polychondritis: a case report and review of the literature Clinical Rheumatology, March 20, 2013
Sebastiani M et al. - The authors describe the case of a patient with relapsing polychondritis associated to Budd–Chiari syndrome due to antiphospholipid syndrome. The present clinical observations together with the updated review of the literature suggest a search for antiphospholipid antibodies in all patients with relapsing polychondritis.

8 Inhibition of Nitric Oxide and Antiphospholipid Antibody-Mediated Thrombosis Current Rheumatology Reports, March 25, 2013
Mineo C - The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is characterized by recurrent vascular thrombosis, thrombocytopenia, and fetal loss occurring in the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). Along with arterial and venous thrombosis and pregnancy complications, patients with APS have an increased risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, and coronary artery disease, resulting from vascular cell dysfunction induced by aPL. Accumulating evidence to date indicates that interactions between ...

9 Q Fever With Transient Antiphospholipid Antibodies Associated With Cholecystitis and Splenic Infarction The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, March 28, 2013
Newcombe JP et al. - The authors describe a case of Q fever associated with the transient presence of antiphospholipid antibodies in a 9-year-old boy presenting with acalculous cholecystitis and splenic infarction. antiphospholipid antibodies are commonly associated with acute Q fever in adults but have previously been thought to be of little clinical significance. Recent data suggest that antiphospholipid antibodies may be responsible for certain clinical manifestations of ...

10 Movement disorders in systemic lupus erythematosus and the antiphospholipid syndrome Journal of Neural Transmission, April 30, 2013
Baizabal-Carvallo JF et al. - A high index of suspicion is required to make an early diagnosis and initiate appropriate treatment to provide symptomatic relief and to prevent other systemic complications related to the autoimmune process. Movement disorders (MDs), particularly chorea, may be the presenting neurological complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), but the association is not often initially recognized. ...