Antibodies to phosphatidylserine/prothrombin complex in suspected antiphospholipid syndrome in the absence of antibodies to cardiolipin or Beta-2-glycoprotein I.

Antibodies to phosphatidylserine/prothrombin (aPS/PT) complex were measured in 728 serum specimens from patients suspected of having antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), but without diagnostic elevations in the levels of antibodies to cardiolipin or Beta-2 Glycoprotein 1 (β2-GP1). Of the 728 specimens, 41 had elevated levels of aPS/PT. Thrombotic events occurred in 11 of the 22 patients with accessible medical histories. Six of the patients with accessible medical records also had laboratory evidence of the lupus anticoagulant. The identification of aPS/PT in patients without evidence of antibodies to cardiolipin, β2-GP1, or the lupus anticoagulant can contribute to the identification of APS in patients that may go undetected with current testing methods.