Are Antiphospholipid Antibodies a Surrogate Risk Factor for Thrombosis in Sepsis?

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a hypercoagulable state caused by antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). APS clinically manifests with arterial or venous or microvascular thrombi and/or pregnancy complications. It is well-known that the development of aPL can be a transient phenomenon and thus the current diagnostic criterion for APS requires repeat laboratory testing several weeks apart before a definitive diagnosis is made. However, transient presence of aPL may also be pathogenic. In this article, we attempt to give historical and clinical evidence for the importance of these antibodies, even when transient, and call for further research into mechanisms by which these antibodies may promote thrombosis and pregnancy morbidities.