[Thrombophilia in systemic lupus erythematosus: A case-control study]

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Hematology
• Immunology

Background:

• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with an increased risk of thrombosis.
• Understanding thrombotic tendencies in SLE patients is crucial for risk stratification and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate thrombotic risk factors in SLE patients.
• To evaluate congenital and acquired abnormalities predisposing to thrombosis in SLE.

Main Methods:

• 53 SLE patients and 53 age/sex-matched healthy controls were assessed.
• Evaluated antiphospholipid antibodies (aCL, aβ2GP, LAC), Protein C (PC), Protein S (PS), Antithrombin (AT), acquired activated protein C resistance, and homocysteinemia.
• Compared frequencies of thrombophilic markers and thrombosis incidence between groups using Chi-squared and student tests.

Main Results:

• 17.0% of SLE patients had positive antiphospholipid antibodies, compared to 0% in controls (P=0.01).
• Protein S deficiency (32.1%) and hyperhomocysteinemia (30.2%) were significantly more frequent in SLE patients.
• Venous thrombosis occurred in 9.4% of SLE patients; significantly associated with Protein C deficit (P=0.02) and acquired activated protein C resistance (P=0.04), but not antiphospholipid antibodies.

Conclusions:

• Thrombophilic abnormalities are more prevalent in SLE patients than in healthy individuals.
• Protein C deficiency and acquired protein C resistance are significant risk factors for thrombosis in SLE.
• Antiphospholipid antibodies did not show a significant correlation with thrombosis in this SLE cohort.