Atherosclerosis, antiphospholipid syndrome, and antiphospholipid antibodies

In antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) patients, some antiphospholipid antibodies (APA) are directed against negatively-charged phospholipids, while other APA are specific for phospholipid-proteins such as beta2-glycoprotein I (beta2GPI). Increased levels of oxidized low density lipoproteins (oxLDL) are present in atherosclerosis patients and these patients develop anti-oxLDL antibodies. Several studies have reported cross-reactivities between APA and anti-oxLDL antibodies, and some authors have suggested that most APA are specific for oxidized forms of phospholipids. In contrast, other studies report that APA react with both reduced and oxidized cardiolipin. In this context, we have re-examined the literature surrounding antibodies found in atherosclerosis and the APS. We have also included results from a panel of anti-phospholipid monoclonal antibodies from W/B mice, an APS model, which indicates that these antibodies do not display any preference for oxidized epitopes on lipid molecules.