The patient was a 41-year-old woman with a 1-year history of systemic lupus erythematosus based on her discoid lupus erythematosus, photosensitivity, and her laboratory test findings that showed lymphopenia, low complement (C3, 38 mg/dL; C4, 4 mg/dL), and the presence of antinuclear antibody (1:320 speckled pattern) and antiphospholipid antibodies (anticardiolipin antibodies, anti-β2-glycoprote...

Studies have shown that plasma glycoprotein with phospholipid-binding property is required for ACA., to bind to cardiolipin that has been coated onto plastic plates. This cofactor has been identified as β2-glycoprotein 1 (β2GPl). Later, it was found that β2GPl is indeed the antigen to which many ACA patients are actually binding and the phospholipid merely serves to link the β2GPl to the solid ...

Anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL-IgG/IgM) and anti-β2-glycoprotein I antibodies (aβ2GPI-IgG/IgM) are laboratory tests included in the current classification criteria for definite antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). However, not all of these assays have been commercially available in Japan. We investigated the efficacy of aCL-IgG/IgM and aβ2GPI-IgG/IgM assays using fluorescence enzyme immunoassay (P...

Antiphospholipid syndrome is an autoimmune disorder defined as association of vascular thrombosis and/or pregnancy complications with presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin and anti-β2 glycoprotein I). It is the most common cause of acquired thrombophilia, and can occur as an independent entity or in relation with other diseases, especially systemic lupus ...