Diagnosis of antiphospholipid antibodies (APA)

SummaryAntiphospholipid-protein antibodies (APA) are a family of autoimmune and alloimmune immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM, IgA or mixtures) which were initially thought to react specifically with negatively-charged or neutral phospholipids. The detection of these antibodies and subsequent classification has been based on a variety of in vitro laboratory tests. Among the various methodologies utilized are: complement fixation, coagulation assays, radioimmunoassays (RIA), microtiter plate ELISA tests, and flow cytometry. The diversity of the various assays as well as the heterogeneity of patient populations have result…