ab21212

Link between anti-CD36 antibodies and thrombosis in the antiphospholipid syndrome

Y. Pelegri, G. Cerrato, M.E. Martinuzzo, L.O. Carreras, R.R. Forastiero

Division of Haematology, Favaloro University, Favaloro Foundation, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

ABSTRACT
Objective
Some studies have previously suggested the involvement of antibodies directed against CD36 (anti-CD36) in the pathogenesis of thrombosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of anti-CD36 in patients with antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) and its relationship with thrombosis.

Methods
Anti-CD36 were tested using an indirect MAIPA assay in 62 patients with autoimmune aPL but without SLE; there were 38 with and 24 without thrombosis. Nineteen patients with thrombosis served as an aPL(-) control group and 58 healthy subjects as the normal control group.

Results
15 of 62 aPL patients (24.2%) but only 1 of 58 (1.7%) normal controls had anti-CD36 (p < 0.0005). As compared to normal controls, the prevalence of anti-CD36 was significantly higher in aPL patients with (26.3%, p < 0.0005) or without thrombosis (20.8%, p < 0.01). Anti-CD36 were significantly more frequent in aPL patients with thrombosis than in thrombosis aPL(-) subjects (26.3% vs 0%, p = 0.02). The presence of anti-CD36 seems to be more frequent in aPL patients with recurrent thrombosis than in those with a single episode (36.8% vs 15.8%).

Conclusion
The presence of anti-CD36 is highly prevalent in patients with autoimmune aPL with a trend to being more frequent in patients with recurrent episodes of thrombosis.

Key words
anti-CD36, thrombosis, antiphospholipid antibodies, antiphospholipid syndrome.

This work was supported in part by grants 05-08160 from the National Fund of Science and Technology (PICT 2000/01) and CID-002-99 from the Favaloro University.
Please address correspondence to: Ricardo R. Forastiero, PhD, Hematología, Universidad Favaloro, Solís 453, (C1078AAI) Buenos Aires, Argentina.
E-mail: forastiero@favaloro.edu.ar