Determination of Ig A to cardiolipin in blood serum by indirect immunofluorescence
Ig A to cardiolipin is designed to quantify in vitro IgA antibodies to cardiolipin in serum and plasma to help diagnose antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and assess thrombotic risk in patients with systemic systemic lupus erythematosus. Anti-cardiolipin antibodies (ACA) belong to the group of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL).
Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), also known as Hughes syndrome, is characterized by typical clinical features such as arterial/venous thrombosis or repeated miscarriages, as well as persistently positive tests for aPL.
Unlike "secondary APS", which occurs in association with Lupus or other rheumatic disorders, there is no evidence for another relevant underlying disease in primary APS. Recently, new classification criteria for antiphospholipid syndrome have been defined.
Anti-cardiolipin antibodies in infectious diseases and APS can be distinguished in relation to their dependence on cofactors: whereas ACA in patients with infectious diseases recognizes pure phospholipid as an antigen, ACA binding in patients with APS requires b2-glycoprotein I as a cofactor.
For this reason, ELAA ACAS need b2-glycoprotein I, which must be included in the test. The so-called lupus anticoagulant (LA) describes a phenomenon associated with the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies. It is determined by measuring antibody-dependent coagulation inhibition in vitro.
ACA/LA are considered to be of significant diagnostic relevance, since a correlation and a tendency to thrombosis have been found between these antibodies. This leads to an increase in the level of venous/arterial thrombosis (including apoplexy), thrombocytopenia, live reticular, habitual abortion and neurological manifestations in patients with ASA/LA-positive.