Anticardiolipin antibodies in a sample of chronic schizophrenics receiving neuroleptic therapy

Drug-induced antiphospholipid antibodies have been considered insignificant, a belief that has recently been questioned. Previous studies noted an association between chlorpromazine treatment and the presence of anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA), especially IgM ACA, and have suggested that thrombosis might be more likely in the presence of IgG ACA. We studied the cases of 27 patients receiving long-term neuroleptic therapy who had no history of cerebrovascular disease. IgG ACA was present in 7 (26%) of the 27, and IgM ACA was present in 5 (19%), yet none had shown any manifestations of cerebrovascular disease since initiation of neuroleptic therapy. These data suggest that drug-induced ACA do not predispose to cerebrovascular disease, even when IgG ACA is predominant.