Lupus & antiphospholipid syndrome
Antiphospholipid antibody carriers and patients with quiescent antiphospholipid syndrome show persistent subclinical complement activation
Authors' conclusion
The persistence of aPL antibodies is associated with a persistent subclinical activation of the complement cascade.
Study context
- Population
- Subjects with at least two consecutive positive aPL results ≥12 weeks apart, free of symptoms for ≥2 years; systemic autoimmune diseases excluded
- Participants
- 37 / 38 / 42 / 30
- Exposure
- Quiescent aPL-positive patients vs healthy controls
- OAPSn = 37
- TAPSn = 38
- aPL carriersn = 42
- Controlsn = 30reference
- Outcome
- Plasma C5a and C5b-9 levels (ELISA)
Methodological detailshealthy age- and sex-matched controls, Mann-Whitney test, Spearman's correlation
- Healthy age- and sex-matched controls
- Mann-Whitney test
- Spearman's correlation
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Plasma C5a, median
P < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Controls | P value |
|---|---|---|
| Plasma C5b-9, medianaPL-positive (OAPS, TAPS, aPL carriers) vs Controls | median 165.90 (IQR 124.23–236.8) ng/ml | P < 0.001 |
- Plasma C5b-9, median: aPL-positive (OAPS, TAPS, aPL carriers) median 283.95 (IQR 175.8–439.40) ng/ml
C5a and C5b-9 levels across OAPS, TAPS and aPL carriers
- Similar C5a and C5b-9 levels in OAPS, TAPS and aPL carriers
Correlation of median C5b-9 levels with number of aPL-positive tests
- Positive correlation
- P = 0.002
Original publication
Antiphospholipid antibody carriers and patients with quiescent antiphospholipid syndrome show persistent subclinical complement activation. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 29 September 2023. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →