Prevalence of antiphospholipid antibodies in psychiatric patients users and non-users of antipsychotics

Past reports have suggested that antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies may emerge as a response to antipsychotics treatment, as a high prevalence of aPL antibodies in antipsychotics users has been observed. However, no control group of non-medicated psychiatric patients was included in these reports. In a cross sectional study we determined the prevalence of aPL antibodies in 333 psychiatric inpatients. We compared the proportions of positive aPL antibodytests between users and non-users of antipsychotics with adjustments for potential confounders. The proportion of antipsychotics users carrying at least one aPL antibody ranged from 10·8% to 27·0% compared with 6·8% to 27·2% in non-users (P = 0·24, P = 0·24) depending on the method of detection of lupus anticoagulant (LA). The prevalence of LA detected by dilute Russell viper venom time or partial thromboplastin time-LA was not different between antipsychotics users and non-users (8·1% vs. 5·4%, P = 0·53 and 18·4% vs. 18·2%, P = 0·22), as well as the prevalence of IgM and IgG anti-β2-glycoprotein-I antibodies, IgM and IgG anti-cardiolipin antibodies(3·8% vs. 2·0%, P = 0·75, 0·0% vs. 0·0%, P = not applicable, 1·1 vs. 1·4%, P = 0·91, 2·7% vs. 3·4%, P = 0·71). In conclusion, aPL antibodies were frequently found in patients with psychiatric diseases and no significant increase in the prevalence of aPL antibodies was observed in antipsychotics users.