[Antiphospholipid syndrome and the kidney diseases]

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is the most common connective tissue disease (CTD) in man. Renal involvement in APS is poorly recognized. The renal manifestations of APS may result from thrombosis occurring at any location within the renal vasculature. The clinical syndromes of renal involvement in APS includes renal artery stenosis, arterial hypertension, APS nephropathy--with variable degrees of severity, extension and chronic microangiopathy, renal vein thrombosis, renalfailure, allograft vascular thrombosis. Clinical symptoms of APS includes hypertension, nephritic or nephrotic syndrome, acute renal insufficiency, chronic kidney disease and reduced survival of renal allografts. Recently a new subset of the APS is proposed--microangiopathic antiphospholipid syndrome (MAPS) comprising those patients presenting with thrombotic microangiopathy and antiphospholipid antibodies. Effective, full anticoagulation is a treatment of choice in any patients with APS and renal involvement.