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.