Measurement of beta 2-glycoprotein I (apolipoprotein H)-independent anticardiolipin antibody in human immunodeficiency virus-1-positive and -negative hemophiliacs.

The authors studied whether or not anticardiolipin antibody (aCL), which is frequently detected in hemophiliacs with human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection, is dependent on beta 2-glycoprotein I (GPI), a cofactor of cardiolipin (CL). GPI-independent aCL was positive in 27 of 36 hemophiliacs with HIV-1 antibody (75%) and in 23 of 29 patients without HIV-1 antibody (79%). However, only six HIV-1-positive and four HIV-1-negative patients were positive for GPI-dependent aCL. Thus the aCL in these hemophiliacs was GPI independent and therefore different from the aCL found in autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus.