Abstract
In order to determine the prevalence and clinical significance of β2-GPI-dependent anticardiolipin antibodies (β2-GPI/aCL) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), serum samples from 80 patients with SSc, 20 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and 120 healthy control subjects were examined by ELISA using purified β2-GPI. IgG isotype β2-GPI/aCL was present in eight of 80 patients with SSc (10%), and the presence of β2-GPI/aCL IgG was significantly correlated with the presence of isolated pulmonary hypertension (PH). Furthermore, levels of β2-GPI/aCL IgG were significantly correlated with levels of mean pulmonary arterial pressure. These data suggest that IgG isotype β2-GPI/aCL might be a serological indicator of the severity of PH in patients with SSc.
Keywords: systemic sclerosis, anticardiolipin antibodies, pulmonary hypertension, ELISA
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