Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome

Causes, Detection & Treatment

The disorder is found to be of mainly two types and they are either primary or
secondary and they are mainly distinguished according to their association
with other autoimmune diseases.
The Primary APS is diagnosed when the patient who has the disorder
does not have any other autoimmune diseases while also satisfying the
laboratory as well as the clinical criteria of the disease.

Secondary APS is when the disorder is associated with other
autoimmune diseases. Women who seem to have the features of APS
especially if they are clinical in nature should go through tests for 3
antiphospholipid antibodies namely anti-beta-2glycoprotein I antibody,
lupus anticoagulant (LAC) and anticardiolipin (aCL) antibody as these
antibodies have been found to be associated with APS diagnosis.

Clinical Features

The clinical features are mainly of two types which are obstetric and
nonobstretic types. The Obstetric features of APS are listed below:

Inexplicable Fetal death or still birth is seen commonly
Repeated pregnancy loss- around three immediate abortions with only
one possible live birth
The fetal death of the second or the third trimester is found to be
unexplainable
Before 34 weeks of gestation severe preeclampsia is found
Fatal growth restriction is seen which has no explanation
Chorea gavadrium can be found


Nonobstetric Features

Nontraumatic thrombosis or thromboembolism which can be venous or
arterial can be seen.
People aged between 24 and 50 can experience strokes
Diseases like amaurosis fugax can be found whose causes cannot be
determined
Thrombocytopenia which is autoimmune in nature is found
Hemolytic anemia is found which is autoimmune
Livedo reticularis is found
Connective tissue disorder like SLE or others can be seen



Medical Care

Like all other disorders, APS also has some treatment but unlike them this
disorder has no cure. The treatment is mainly is done to prevent complications
and to prevent formation of blood clots. Pregnant women with APS are treated
to prevent Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome in Pregnancy while considering
them as high-risk obstetric patients.


Medicines

Treatment for Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome is done through
Anticoagulants better known as blood thinners which are used to stop the
blood clots and are administered through pills or through injection by which they
are injected into the veins with the help of a needle or a tube. Among the blood
thinners Heparin and Warfarin, Heparin is injected whereas Warfarin is given in
the form of a pill. Doctors use both the blood thinners together or separately,
amongst which Heparin acts quickly. Aspirin is also a well known blood thinner
which is sometimes used with Heparin, or else alone. Antiphospholipid Antibody
Syndrome is not prevented by the blood thinners, they only lessen the further
risk of blood clotting and the treatment has a long term effect.


Side Effects

The most common side effect of using blood thinners is bleeding which can also
be considered life threatening. Sometimes the bleeding is found inside the body
so people who are treated with blood thinners often need blood tests.