Role of Complement in the Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome in Patients with SLE
Abstract
Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a potentially life-threatening complication of systemic lupus erythrematosus (SLE) that leads to venous/arterial blood clots and pregnancy loss. The most severe form of APS is known as catastrophic antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (CAPS) which is fatal in up to 50 percent of patients. How antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) cause blood clots and pregnancy loss is unknown. More importantly, there are no good treatments to reliably prevent blood clots and pregnancy loss in patients with severe APS and CAPS. We, and others, have shown that aPLs activate a portion of the immune system known as complement and that failure to regulate complement on the lining of blood vessels contributes to developing blood clots and pregnancy loss. Thus, drugs that inhibit complement are being proposed to prevent complications from APS/CAPS. The principal investigators (PIs) of this grant are at the forefront of studying complement biology and are authorities on the clinical development and use of a variety of approved drugs to treat complement-mediated disorders. The overarching goal of this study is to identify patients with lupus and aPL who are at highest risk of a first or recurrent thrombosis, and to elucidate the role of complement activation in these complications.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1192040
Entities
People
- Robert Brodsky
Organizations
- Johns Hopkins University