More than 50% of patients with COVID-19 positive for antiphospholipid antibodies
Sumary of More than 50% of patients with COVID-19 positive for antiphospholipid antibodies:
A significant proportion of patients with COVID-19 — up to 52% by one metric — are at least transiently positive for potentially pathogenic antiphospholipid autoantibodies, according to a speaker at ACR Convergence..
Yu Zuo, MD, a physician scientist in the field of antiphospholipid syndrome and COVID-19 at the University of Michigan, told attendees at the virtual meeting..
“More than half of hospitalized COVID-19 patients have positive antiphospholipid antibodies, particularly a non-criteria antiphospholipid antibodies anti- phosphatidylserine/prothrombin,”.
Adobe Stock “Antiphospholipid syndrome is an acquired thromboinflammatory disorder, characterized by recurrent thromboembolic events and pregnancy loss,”.
“APS patients form antiphospholipid antibodies, and these antibodies can activate endothelial cells, platelets and neutrophils, thereby promoting thrombus formation..
There are small case reports and series that suggest that antiphospholipid autoantibodies might be present in COVID-19 patients, and they may contribute to thrombosis.”.
To measure antiphospholipid autoantibodies in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and analyze whether purified IgG fractions from these patients had prothrombotic properties in vitro and in vivo, Zuo and colleagues examined sera from 172 participants..
Samples were assessed for eight types of antiphospholipid autoantibodies, including anticardiolipin IgG/IgM/IgA, anti-beta-2 glycoprotein I IgG/IgM/IgA, and anti-phosphatidylserine/prothrombin (PS/PT) IgG/IgM..
IgG fractions were then purified from patients with COVID-19 with various profiles of antiphospholipid autoantibodies..
According to the researchers, 23% of participants demonstrated anticardiolipin IgM antibodies, 24% had anti-PS/PT IgG and 18% had anti-PS/PT IgM in 18%..
In all, 52% demonstrated any antiphospholipid autoantibodies, based on the manufacturer threshold, while 30% had them using a more stringent cutoff of at least 40 units..
For example, anti-PS/PT IgM levels were significantly linked with neutrophil activation, circulating NETs and more severe respiratory disease (P = .03)….
