ANTICARDIOLIPIN ANTIBODIES AND CARDIAC INVOLVEMENT IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus is the prototypic autoimmune disease, characterized by multiorgan inflammation and the production of autoantibodies directed against various cellular components<Sftkakis et a£., 2005). Disease manifestations are diverse, affecting every organ system in the body; the levels of severity of these manifestations vary from mild to life- threatening ((fessfer eta£., 2005).

Cardiac abnormalities has been receiving increased attention in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Cardiovascular system involvement has been found to have a substantial effect on mortality and morbidity in patients with SLE. Recent diagnostic methods using echocardiography examination have allowed the delineation of cardiac manifestations such as myocarditis and myocardial dysfunction, valvular disease, pericardia! disease or pulmonary hypertension (G\Voe;akowska­ (on et a£., 2003).

Antiphospholipid antibodies are a heterogeneous group of autoantibodies and are often found to be elevated in the sera of patients suffering from a wide range of clinical conditions mainly autoimmune and infectious diseases(Samarkos eta£., 2oo1).

Antiphospholipid antibodies have been linked to several cardiac manifestations in patients with SLE, including valvular abnormalities and possibly coronary artery disease( d'er eta£., 1999).

Antiphospholipid antibodies have been shown to be quite diverse, targeting a number of different antigens. Thus, these antibodies are directed not only against negatively charged phospholipids, but also