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Viral infections and antiphospholipid antibodies
Imad W Uthman1, Azzudin E Gharavi
1Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon. iuthman@aub.edu.lb
Objective:
To study the relationship between viral infections and the induction of antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies.
Methods:
We reviewed the medical literature from 1968 until 2000 using MEDLINE and the key words virus, infection, antiphospholipid, and anticardiolipin.
Results:
Anticardiolipin antibodies and/or lupus anticoagulant were associated with a number of viral infections, including hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus, cytomegalovirus, varicella zoster, Epstein-Barr virus, adenovirus, and parvovirus B. In many instances, the presence of these antibodies was associated with thrombosis.
Conclusion:
The clinical significance of finding aPL antibodies in patients with viral infections remains unknown. In some patients, these antibodies may be transient and disappear within 2 or 3 months. In other susceptible individuals, they may persist and raise the question of whether infections may trigger the development of aPL antibodies in autoimmune diseases.