Impaired ankle-brachial index in antiphospholipid syndrome: Beyond the traditional risk factors

Abstract

Introduction: The patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) associate an increased risk of atherosclerosis.

Objective: To determine the predictors of an abnormal ankle-brachial index (ABI), surrogate measure of atherosclerosis, in patients with APS.

Methods: The ABI was measured according to standard recommendations in 106 patients. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors were assessed in all cases. A large spectrum of APS antibodies was determined in 73 patients.

Results: A total of 106 patients diagnosed with APS were included. 28.3% patients included were found to have low ABI. Anti-beta 2-glycoprotein I (aβ2GPI) IgG antibodies [4.00 (1.00-79.00) vs 3.00 (0.00-29.00) U/mL, P = 0.02] and antiprothrombin (aPT) IgM antibodies [4.50 (0.00-82.00) vs 3.00 (0.00-14.00) U/mL, P = 0.05] titers were found to be higher in patients with abnormal ABI. However, after multivariate regression analysis, only the aβ2GPI IgG titer remained predictor of low ABI (P = 0.04).

Conclusions: aβ2GPI IgG associated with impaired ABI in patients with APS. This relation might reflect their involvement in the atherosclerosis occurrence.

Keywords: ankle-brachial index; antiphospholipid syndrome; beta-2 glycoprotein I; cardiovascular risk.