REVIEW - Antiphospholipid syndrome and SLE: are they separate entities or just clinical presentations on the same scale?

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Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Are they

Separate Entities or Just Clinical Presentations on the Same Scale?

Yehuda Shoenfeld; Pier Luigi Meroni; Elias Toubi

Published: 09/10/2009

Abstract

Purpose of review: Although originally described in the context of

systemic lupus erythematosus, antiphospholipid syndrome was then

recognized as a primary antiphospholipid syndrome without any

underlying autoimmune disease in almost half of the cases. However,

cases of primary antiphospholipid syndrome were reported to evolve

into systemic lupus erythematosus over time suggesting that these

apparently different diseases are somehow related.

Recent findings: Peculiar biological systemic lupus erythematosus

markers such as an autoantibody response against chromatin antigens

and complement activation have been also described in patients with

primary antiphospholipid syndrome. Distinct polymorphisms of common

genetic factors have been associated with systemic lupus erythematosus

and primary antiphospholipid syndrome supporting the notion that these

entities are indeed variants within a continuum of the same disease.

Summary: A multiorgan involvement that cannot be explained by the

thrombophilic state per se and similar to the well known clinical

manifestations in lupus is reported in patients with primary

antiphospholipid syndrome. Further studies, mainly genetic, will

better underline the proximity between primary antiphospholipid

syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus.

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Read the rest of the article here:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/708294

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