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Frequently Asked Questions
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- What is an antibody?
- What is an autoimmune disorder?
- What is an antiphospholipid antibody?
- What is a lupus anticoagulant?
- What is an anticardiolipin antibody?
- How do doctors test for antiphospholipid antibodies?
- What is a DVT?
- What is a PE?
- What kinds of problems can occur in patients with APS?
- How did I get these antibodies?
- What is an anticoagulant?
- What kinds of treatments are available for APS?
Questions on Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome:
- What lifestyle changes must be made to accommodate Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome?
- What type of doctor(s) should I see?
- Do all Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome patients have the same symptoms?
- Is Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome a fatal disease?
Antibodies are small proteins in the blood that help fight infections. For example, when you get the flu vaccine, your body makes antibodies against the flu virus. If you later get exposed to the flu virus, you already have antibodies ready to fight off the virus so that you don’t get sick.
What is an autoimmune disorder?
Our body’s immune system fights infection by making antibodies. The antibodies work by finding invaders and coating them for removal. Sometimes the immune system gets confused and begins to make antibodies against the body itself. For example, in rheumatoid arthritis the immune system attacks the joints. Because of this, people with rheumatoid arthritis get joint pain and swelling.
What is an antiphospholipid antibody?
Phospholipids are found in the blood and help keep the blood flowing without too much clotting or bleeding. Antibodies against phospholipid (antiphospholipid antibodies) mess up the normal balance between clotting and bleeding. The antibodies can increase a person’s chance of having a blood clot.
What is a lupus anticoagulant?
The lupus anticoagulant is one of the antiphospholipid antibodies. It is found by measuring the time it takes for a blood sample to clot.
What is an anticardiolipin antibody?
The anticardiolipin antibody is one of the antiphospholipid antibodies. To find this antibody, a blood sample is mixed with an antibody against the anticardiolipin antibody.
How do doctors test for antiphospholipid antibodies?
To test for antiphospholipid antibodies, your doctor will take some of your blood and test it for the lupus anticoagulant (LA) and anticardiolipin (aCL) antibodies.
People with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) are more likely to get blood clots. The clots may happen in the deep veins of the arms or legs. When this happens, these clots are called deep venous thrombosis or “DVT”.
A blood clot can also happen in the lung. A blood clot in the lung is called a pulmonary embolism, or “PE”.
What kinds of problems can occur in patients with APS?
People with APS can also get blood clots in their arteries. If a blood clot reaches the brain, this is called a stroke. If the blood clot happens in the heart, this is called a heart attack or “myocardial infarction”.
How did I get these antibodies?
Most the time, doctors do not know why some people get antiphospholipid antibodies. In a small number of people, an infection or drug caused the antibody. Some kinds of autoimmune diseases cause the antibody. In other cases, the antibody seems to run in families. The point of this study is to try and find the genes that cause APS.
An anticoagulant is a medication that thins the blood, making the blood less likely to clot. Warfarin (Coumadin), heparin, and low molecular weight heparins (for example, Lovenox) are all anticoagulants, or "blood thinners"."
What kinds of treatments are available for APS?
If a person gets a blood clot from APS, an anticoagulant is normally given. Blood thinners make it less likely that another blood clot will happen.
What lifestyle changes must be made to accommodate Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome?
For asymptomatic individuals who have antiphospholipid antibodies, some doctors recommend aspirin therapy, but, generally, no major lifestyle changes are necessary. For patients who have the antiphospholipid syndrome and have had a blood clot, treatment consists of anticoagulant therapy ("blood thinners"). Anticoagulant therapy with warfarin (most commonly, Coumadin ® ) does require attention to one's diet (for a stable intake of vitamin K) and regular blood checks to monitor the medicine. Other recommendations for patients on warfarin therapy would be the same as for any individual who needs to take warfarin. Patients with problems with recurrent miscarriages may need to take a different type of blood thinner (a low molecular weight heparin, such as enoxaparin or dalteparin) during subsequent pregnancies. Lastly, patients with antiphospholipid antibodies should try to minimize any other blood clot risk factors (for example, not smoking, or not taking oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy).
What type of doctor(s) should I see?
The type of doctor a patient sees should be determined by the symptoms the individual patient is having, and any given patient may benefit from the input of several specialists. For patients with blood clots, a hematologist would be involved, often for management of the anticoagulant therapy (blood thinner). For patients with recurrent miscarriages, a high-risk obstetrician should be consulted. For patients who also have rheumatologic symptoms, such as symptoms of lupus, a rheumatologist would be important to see. Of course, all patients would benefit from having a single physician identified as their primary care provider, to help coordinate all of their healthcare needs.
Do all Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome patients have the same symptoms?
By definition, all patients with antiphospholipid syndrome have some type of blood clot, affecting either the arteries or the veins, or recurrent miscarriages or certain other complications during pregnancy. Other problems that may be seen in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome may include a particular type of rash (livido reticularis), low platelet counts ('thrombocytopenia'), heart valve problems, certain fingernail changes, or other signs or symptoms. Lastly, some individuals may have elevated antiphospholipid antibody levels but be completely asymptomatic. In this situation, the antibody may have been detected by blood test results drawn prior to a surgical procedure, or for some other reason.
Is Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome a fatal disease?
Antiphospholipid antibodies may be detected in individuals who are completely asymptomatic, but, in some patients, these antibodies may be associated with a rapidly progressive disorder that can be fatal. In addition, the blood clots that can be seen with these antibodies can be fatal, depending on how large they are or which blood vessels are affected.
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