January 1998, Volume 7, Issue 1, Pages 12 – 14

Paper

Anti-phospholipid-antibodies in patients with relapsing polychondritis M Zeuner1, RH Straub1, U Schlosser2, G Rauh3, G Schmitz2, J Schölmerich1 & B Lang1,4 1University of Regensburg, Medical Center, Department of Internal Medicine I, Germany     2University of Regensburg, Medical Center, Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Germany     3Ludwig-Maximilian’s University Munich, Medical Policlinic, Germany     4Correspondence: Dr B Lang, Department of Internal Medicine I, Rheumatology/Clinical Immunology Unit, University of Regensburg Medical Center, D-93042 Regensburg, Germany.

Keywords

anti-phospholipid antibodies;   relapsing polychondritis

Abstract

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is an extremly rare multisystemic disease thought to be of autoimmune origin. In order to assess if RP is associated with anti-phospholipid antibodies (aPL), clinical data and sera of 21 patients with RP were collected in a multicentre study. Concentration of anti-cardiolipin antibodies (aCL) (IgG-, IgM- and IgA-isotypes), anti-phosphatidylserine-antibodies (aPS) (IgG- and IgM-isotypes) and anti--2-glycoprotein I-antibodies (a2 GPI) were measured by ELISA. In eight patients aCL were found to be elevated. One patient had elevated aPS. No patient had elevated a2 GPI. No patient had clinical signs and symptoms of a aPL syndrome. Interestingly, the two RP patients with the highest aPL had concomitant systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Therefore the presence of elevated aPL in RP is probably more closely related to an associated SLE than to RP itself. There is no convincing evidence that aPL are associated with RP.

Received 25 February 1997; Accepted 23 July 1997

^© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 1997