Splenic infarction in Plasmodium vivax malaria.

In recent years, the association between infections and antiphospholipid syndrome has been reported in several epidemiologic and experimental studies that support the idea of infectious induction of aPL [2]. Witmer, et al. [3] reported two children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pulmonary infection complicated by the development of splenic infarction and transient antiphospholipid antibodies. Among parasitic infections, malaria and leishmaniasis have been linked with the production of aPL. Avcin and Toplak [4] reviewed 100 antiphospholipid syndrome cases associated with infection and summarized clinical and experimental evidence on the association between aPL and infectious diseases, they also emphasized a possible association with immunizations. Consigny, et al. [5] found a high prevalence of serum cofactor independent aCL, which is a type of antiphospholipid antibody in 137 individuals chronically exposed to Plasmodium falciparum or vivax infections.