thrombosis, abortion, cerebral disease, and the lupus anticoagulant

2
1088 BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL VOLUME 28 7 15 OCTOBER 1983 employment t h e occupational medical officer should also b e notified. F e w diabetics register o n th e Disabled Persons Register, b u t those with disabling complications m a y find i t advantageous to do s o a n d t o seek the advice o f their local disablement resettlement officer. Th e present positive attitude towards t h e management o f diabetes h a s ensured that most diabetics c an be usefully a n d suitably employed, b u t th e satisfactory care of the diabetic employee does require efficient medical support with good c o - operation between t he diabetic clinic, t h e family physician, a n d t h e occupational health service. JOHN LISTER Consultant Physician, East Berkshire Health District, S L4 3HH Lister J . Th e employment of diabetics. J'ournal of Social a n d Occupational Medicine 1982;32:153-8. 2 Jackson JGL. British Diabetic Association employment survey. London: British Diabetic Association, 1961. 3 Frier B M, Steel JM, Matthews DM, Steel JM, Duncan LJP. Driving a n d insulin-dependent diabetes. Lancet 1980;i:1232-4. 4Mastbaum L , Tetrick I , Alexander R W. Physician's guidelines f o r employ- ment a n d placement o f t h e diabetic in industry-an update. JOM 1980 ; 2 2 :601-2. 5 Soskin S . Diabetes-its relation t o industry. Industrial Medicine an d Surgery 1954;23:106-7. Thrombosis, abortion, cerebral disease, a n d t h e lupus anticoagulant Systemic lupus erythematosus, with i t s broad range o f clinical a n d immunological abnormalities, continues t o provide lessons relevant to research i n a wider variety of disciplines a n d diseases. I n some patients three apparently unrelated clinical features o f systemic lupus erythematosus-recurrent venous thrombosis, central nervous system disease (including myelitis), a n d recurrent abortions-may, i t seems, have common pathogenic mechanisms. Clinicians have suspected a s much f o r some time-those dealing with many patients with systemic lupus erythematosus recognise a group o f women w h o have a s features o f their disease multiple(even a dozen o r more) spontaneous abortions, multiple deep vein a n d other throm- boses, an d neurological abnormalities including either putative cerebral thrombosis o r myelitis or both. Interestingly, some o f these patients have negative test results f o r anti- nuclear antibody.' T h e serological abnormality common t o some (but n o t all) of these patients i s a circulating anticardiolipin antibody responsible fo r t h e positive Wassermann reaction o r s o called false positive serological test f o r syphilis. Over 2 5 years a g o Laurell a n d Nilsson2 recognised that patients with systemic lupus erythematosus with biological false positive Wassermann reactions also ha d a high incidence o f another "antilipid" antibody-the s o called "lupus anticoagulant." This antibody, n o w known to b e present i n conditions other than systemic lupus erythematosus, appears to act b y interfering with the binding o f phospholipid t o form prothrombin activator, thereby affecting both t h e intrinsic a n d extrinsic clotting pathways.3 Though i n laboratory tests th e lupus anticoagulant slightly prolongs t h e partial thromboplastin time, t h e seeming paradox i s that i ts presence i n a patient's circulation appears t o b e associated n o t with bleeding b ut with a tendency t o thrombosis.4-9 Mueh e t al reviewed 35 patients whose plasma possessed lupus anticoagulant activity. S i x o f these patients ha d systemic lupus erythematosus, a n d 2 4 h a d autoimmune abnormalities.8 S i x o f 2 8 patients h a d a positive Venereal Disease Research Laboratory test result. Eleven o f t h e 3 5 patients suffered o n e o r more thrombotic episodes, including cerebral thrombosis. S i x o f the patients h a d thrombocytopenia (possibly due t o antibody activity against phospholipid antigen i n t h e platelet membrane). Another clinical association subsequently observed in association with the lupus anticoagulant i s recurrent spon- taneous abortion.5 O ne mechanism f o r this w a s suggested by Carreras e t al,7 w ho studied a patient with recurrent arterial thrombosis a n d intrauterine fetal death. The IgG fraction of h er serum containing lupus anticoagulant w a s found t o i n - hibit th e production of prostacyclin (PGI,) b y ra t aorta an d pregnant myometrium. They speculated that by i t s effect o n phospholipids t h e lupus anticoagulant might interfere with t h e release of arachidonic acid from t h e cell membranes. Recent studies from t h e Hammersmith Hospital have confirmed a n d extended t h e association o f t h e lupus anti- coagulant with thrombosis. Boey e t al studied 3 1 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus a n d other connective tissue diseases whose plasma showed lupus anticoagulant activity.9 Thrombotic episodes such a s deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, thrombosis, a n d axillary vein thrombosis were recorded i n 1 8 of th e 3 1 . Of t h e 26 women with lupus anticoagulant activity, nine gave a history o f o ne more abortions. Seven of th e 31 patients h ad positive Venereal Disease Research Laboratory test results. Asherson e t al'0 from t h e same unit reported s i x patients with systemic lupus erythematosus an d pulmonary hypertension, five o f whom h ad lupus anticoagulant activity-a finding that stimu- lates speculation o n a possible wider role of lupus antico- agulant i n "idiopathic" pulmonary hypertension, where serological abnormalities including false positive serological tests f o r syphilis have been previously observed, a nd where intrapulmonary venous thrombosis m a y b e a contributing factor. Further interesting anecdotal observations from these studies were th e association o f antinuclear antibody negative discoid lupus erythematosus with t h e lupus anticoagulant a n d pulmonary hypertension'0 a n d t h e association o f t h e lupus anticoagulant with "idiopathic" portal hypertension i n o n e patient a n d with renal vein thrombosis i n t wo others. Elegant supporting th e concept that some anti- bodies cross react with complex lipid antigens have been reported by Stollar, Schwartz, a n d others, who showed that monoclonal anti-DNA antibodies, raised from lupus mice, m a y bind a variety of polynucleotides an d phospholipids.11-13 On e such antibody also h a d lupus anticoagulant activity. I n such antibodies t h e antigenic determinants appeared t o b e t h e phosphodiester linked phosphate group present i n some phospholipids, including cardiolipin, a s well a s in t h e sugar phosphate backbone o f polynucleotides such a s DNA.J-13 Certain restricted groups of lymphocytes m a y produce anti- bodies with idiotypic diversity. Of interest i s t h e report that immunisation of normal rabbits o r mice with cardiolipin stimulates th e production o f both anticardiolipin a n d anti- DNA antibodies.13 These laboratory studies when taken with their clinical counterparts suggest that these antibodies m a y have patho- genic importance. B y implication, therefore, their removal by immunosuppression, plasmapheresis, o r (one day) b y th e u s e

Upload: theo-crawls

Post on 03-Apr-2018

219 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Thrombosis, abortion, cerebral disease, and the lupus anticoagulant

7/28/2019 Thrombosis, abortion, cerebral disease, and the lupus anticoagulant.

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/thrombosis-abortion-cerebral-disease-and-the-lupus-anticoagulant 1/2

1088 BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL VOLUME 28 7 15 OCTOBER 1983

e m p l o y m e n t t h e o c c u p a t i o n a l m e d i c a l o f f i c e r s h o u l d a l s o b e

n o t i f i e d .Few d i a b e t i c s r e g i s t e r o n t h e D i s a b l e d P e r s o n s R e g i s t e r ,

b u t t h o s e w i t h d i s a b l i n g c o m p l i c a t i o n s may f i n d i t a d v a n t a g e o u s

t o d o s o a n d t o s e e k t h e a d v i c e o f t h e i r l o c a l d i s a b l e m e n t

r e s e t t l e m e n t o f f i c e r .Th e p r e s e n t p o s i t i v e a t t i t u d e t o w a r d s t h e m a n a g e m e n t o f

d i a b e t e s h a s e n s u r e d t h a t m o s t d i a b e t i c s c a n b e u s e f u l l y a n d

s u i t a b l y e m p l o y e d , b u t t h e s a t i s f a c t o r y c a r e o f t h e d i a b e t i ce m p l o y e e d o e s r e q u i r e e f f i c i e n t m e d i c a l s u p p o r t w i t h g o o d c o -

o p e r a t i o n b e t w e e n t h e d i a b e t i c c l i n i c , t h e f a m i l y p h y s i c i a n , a n d

t h e o c c u p a t i o n a l h e a l t h s e r v i c e .

J O H N L I S T E RC o n s u l t a n t P h y s i c i a n ,

E a s t B e r k s h i r e H e a l t h D i s t r i c t ,W i n d s o r SL4 3HH

L i s t e r J . Th e e m p l o y m e n t o f d i a b e t i c s . J ' o u r n a l o f S oc i a l a n d O c c u p a t i o n a l

M e d i c i n e 1 9 8 2 ; 3 2 : 1 5 3 - 8 .2 J a c k s o n JGL. B r i t i s h D i a b e t i c A s s o c i a t i o n e m p l o y m e n t s u r v e y . L o n d o n :

B r i t i s h D i a b e t i c A s s o c i a t i o n , 1 9 6 1 .3 F r i e r BM, S t e e l JM, M a t t h e w s DM, S t e e l JM, Duncan L J P . D r i v i n g a n d

i n s u l i n - d e p e n d e n t d i a b e t e s . L a n c e t 1 9 8 0 ; i : 1 2 3 2 - 4 .

4Mastbaum L , T e t r i c k I , A l e x a n d e r RW. P h y s i c i a n ' s g u i d e l i n e s f o r e m p l o y -

ment a n d p l a c e m e n t o f t h e d i a b e t i c i n i n d u s t r y - a n u p d a t e . JOM

1 9 8 0 ; 2 2 : 6 0 1 - 2 .5 S o s k i n S . D i a b e t e s - i t s r e l a t i o n t o i n d u s t r y . I n d u s t r i a l M e d i c i n e a n d

S u r g e r y 1 9 5 4 ; 2 3 : 1 0 6 - 7 .

T h r o m b o s i s , a b o r t i o n ,c e r e b r a l d i s e a s e , a n d t h el u p u s a n t i c o a g u l a n t

S y s t e m i c l u p u s e r y t h e m a t o s u s , w i t h i t s b r o a d r a n g e o f c l i n i c a l

a n d i m m u n o l o g i c a l a b n o r m a l i t i e s , c o n t i n u e s t o p r o v i d e l e s s o n sr e l e v a n t t o r e s e a r c h i n a w i d e r v a r i e t y o f d i s c i p l i n e s a n dd i s e a s e s . I n s o m e p a t i e n t s t h r e e a p p a r e n t l y u n r e l a t e d c l i n i c a lf e a t u r e s o f s y s t e m i c l u p u s e r y t h e m a t o s u s - r e c u r r e n t v e n o u s

t h r o m b o s i s , c e n t r a l n e r v o u s s y s t e m d i s e a s e ( i n c l u d i n gm y e l i t i s ) , a n d r e c u r r e n t a b o r t i o n s - m a y , i t s e e m s , h a v e

common p a t h o g e n i c m e c h a n i s m s . C l i n i c i a n s h a v e s u s p e c t e d a smuch f o r s o m e t i m e - t h o s e d e a l i n g w i t h many p a t i e n t s w i t h

s y s t e m i c l u p u s e r y t h e m a t o s u s r e c o g n i s e a g r o u p o f wo m en whoh a v e a s f e a t u r e s o f t h e i r d i s e a s e m u l t i p l e ( e v e n a d o z e n o r m o r e )

s p o n t a n e o u s a b o r t i o n s , m u l t i p l e d e e p v e i n a n d o t h e r t h r o m -

b o s e s , a n d n e u r o l o g i c a l a b n o r m a l i t i e s i n c l u d i n g e i t h e rp u t a t i v e c e r e b r a l t h r o m b o s i s o r m y e l i t i s o r b o t h . I n t e r e s t i n g l y ,s o m e o f t h e s e p a t i e n t s h a v e n e g a t i v e t e s t r e s u l t s f o r a n t i -n u c l e a r a n t i b o d y . 'The s e r o l o g i c a l a b n o r m a l i t y c om mon t o s o m e ( b u t n o t a l l )

o f t h e s e p a t i e n t s i s a c i r c u l a t i n g a n t i c a r d i o l i p i n a n t i b o d y

r e s p o n s i b l e f o r t h e p o s i t i v e W a s s e r m a n n r e a c t i o n o r s o c a l l e df a l s e p o s i t i v e s e r o l o g i c a l t e s t f o r s y p h i l i s . O v e r 2 5 y e a r s a g o

L a u r e l l a n d N i l s s o n 2 r e c o g n i s e d t h a t p a t i e n t s w i t h s y s t e m i cl u p u s e r y t h e m a t o s u s w i t h b i o l o g i c a l f a l s e p o s i t i v e W a s s e r m a n nr e a c t i o n s a l s o h a d a h i g h i n c i d e n c e o f a n o t h e r " a n t i l i p i d "a n t i b o d y - t h e s o c a l l e d " l u p u s a n t i c o a g u l a n t . " T h i s a n t i b o d y ,now known t o b e p r e s e n t i n c o n d i t i o n s o t h e r t h a n s y s t e m i c

l u p u s e r y t h e m a t o s u s , a p p e a r s t o a c t b y i n t e r f e r i n g w i t h t h eb i n d i n g o f p h o s p h o l i p i d t o f o r m p r o t h r o m b i n a c t i v a t o r ,t h e r e b y a f f e c t i n g b o t h t h e i n t r i n s i c a n d e x t r i n s i c c l o t t i n g

p a t h w a y s . 3 T h o u g h i n l a b o r a t o r y t e s t s t h e l u p u s a n t i c o a g u l a n ts l i g h t l y p r o l o n g s t h e p a r t i a l t h r o m b o p l a s t i n t i m e , t h e s e e m i n g

p a r a d o x i s t h a t i t s p r e s e n c e i n a p a t i e n t ' s c i r c u l a t i o n a p p e a r s

t o b e a s s o c i a t e d n o t w i t h b l e e d i n g b u t w i t h a t e n d e n c y t ot h r o m b o s i s . 4 - 9

Mueh e t a l r e v i e w e d 3 5 p a t i e n t s w h o s e p l a s m a p o s s e s s e d

l u p u s a n t i c o a g u l a n t a c t i v i t y . S i x o f t h e s e p a t i e n t s h a d s y s t e m i c

l u p u s e r y t h e m a t o s u s , a n d 2 4 h a d a u t o i m m u n e a b n o r m a l i t i e s . 8S i x o f 2 8 p a t i e n t s h a d a p o s i t i v e V e n e r e a l D i s ea s e R e s e a r c h

L a b o r a t o r y t e s t r e s u l t . E l e v e n o f t h e 3 5 p a t i e n t s s u f f e r e d o n e

o r m o r e t h r o m b o t i c e p i s o d e s , i n c l u d i n g c e r e b r a l t h r o m b o s i s .

S i x o f t h e p a t i e n t s h a d t h r o m b o c y t o p e n i a ( p o s s i b l y d u e t oa n t i b o d y a c t i v i t y a g a i n s t p h o s p h o l i p i d a n t i g e n i n t h e p l a t e l e tm e m b r a n e ) .

A n o t h e r c l i n i c a l a s s o c i a t i o n s u b s e q u e n t l y o b s e r v e d i na s s o c i a t i o n w i t h t h e l u pu s a n t i c o a g u l a n t i s r e c u r r e n t s p o n -

t a n e o u s a b o r t i o n . 5 O n e m e c h a n i s m f o r t h i s w a s s u g g e s t e d b y

C a r r e r a s e t a l , 7 who s t u d i e d a p a t i e n t w i t h r e c u r r e n t a r t e r i a lt h r o m b o s i s a n d i n t r a u t e r i n e f e t a l d e a t h . Th e IgG f r a c t i o n o f

h e r s e r u m c o n t a i n i n g l u p u s a n t i c o a g u l a n t w a s f o u n d t o i n -h i b i t t h e p r od u c t i o n o f p r o s t a c y c l i n ( P G I , ) b y r a t a o r t a a n d

p r e g n a n t m y o m e t r i u m . T h e y s p e c u l a t e d t h a t b y i t s e f f e c t o n

p h o s p h o l i p i d s t h e l u p u s a n t i c o a g u l a n t m i g h t i n t e r f e r e w i t h

t h e r e l e a s e o f a r a c h i d o n i c a c i d f r o m t h e c e l l m e m b r a n e s .

R e c e n ts t u d i e s

f r o m t h e H a m m e r s m i t hH o s p i t a l

h a v e

c o n f i r m e d a n d e x t e n d e d t h e a s s o c i a t i o n o f t h e l u p u s a n t i -c o a g u l a n t w i t h t h r o m b o s i s . B o e y e t a l s t u d i e d 3 1 p a t i e n t sw i t h s y s t e m i c l u p u s e r y t h e m a t o s u s a n d o t h e r c o n n e c t i v et i s s u e d i s e a s e s w h o s e p l a s m a s h o w e d l u p u s a n t i c o a g u l a n ta c t i v i t y . 9 T h r o m b o t i c e p i s o d e s s u c h a s d e e p v e i n t h r o m b o s i s ,p u l m o n a r y e mb o li s m , c e r e b r a l t h r o m b o s i s , a n d a x i l l a r y v e i nt h r o m b o s i s w e r e r e c o r d e d i n 1 8 o f t h e 3 1 . Of t h e 2 6 wo m en

w i t h l u p u s a n t i c o a g u l a n t a c t i v i t y , n i n e g a v e a h i s t o r y o f o n e

o r m o r e a b o r t i o n s . S e v e n o f t h e 3 1 p a t i e n t s h a d p o s i t i v eV e n e r e a l D i s e a s e R e s e a r c h L a b o r a t o r y t e s t r e s u l t s . A s h e r s o n

e t a l ' 0 f r o m t h e same u n i t r e p o r t e d s i x p a t i e n t s w i t h s y s t e m i cl u p u s e r y t h e m a t o s u s a n d p u l m o n a r y h y p e r t e n s i o n , f i v e o f

w h o m h a d l u p u s a n t i c o a g u l a n t a c t i v i t y - a f i n d i n g t h a t s t i m u -

l a t e s s p e c u l a t i o n on a p o s s i b l e w i d e r r o l e o f l u p u s a n t i c o -a g u l a n t i n " i d i o p a t h i c " p u l m o n a r y h y p e r t e n s i o n , w h e r e

s e r o l o g i c a l a b n o r m a l i t i e s i n c l u d i n g f a l s e p o s i t i v e s e r o l o g i c a lt e s t s f o r s y p h i l i s h a v e b e e n p r e v i o u s l y o b s e r v e d , a n d w h e r e

i n t r a p u l m o n a r y v e n o u s t h r o m b o s i s may b e a c o n t r i b u t i n gf a c t o r . F u r t h e r i n t e r e s t i n g a n e c d o t a l o b s e r v a t i o n s f r o m t h e s es t u d i e s w e r e t h e a s s o c i a t i o n o f a n t i n u c l e a r a n t i b o d y n e g a t i v ed i s c o i d l u p u s e r y t h e m a t o s u s w i t h t h e l u p u s a n t i c o a g u l a n t a n d

p u l m o n a r y h y p e r t e n s i o n ' 0 a n d t h e a s s o c i a t i o n o f t h e l u p u sa n t i c o a g u l a n t w i t h " i d i o p a t h i c " p o r t a l h y p e r t e n s i o n i n one

p a t i e n t a n d w i t h r e n a l v e i n t h r o m b o s i s i n t w o o t h e r s .

E l e g a n t s t u d i e s s u p p o r t i n g t h e c o n c e p t t h a t s o m e a n t i -

b o d i e s may c r o s s r e a c t w i t h c o m p l e x l i p i d a n t i g e n s h a v e b e e n

r e p o r t e d b y S t o l l a r , S c h w a r t z , a n d o t h e r s , who s h o w e d t h a t

m o n o c l o n a l a n t i - D N A a n t i b o d i e s , r a i s e d f r o m l u p u s m i c e ,

may b i n d a v a r i e t y o f p o l y n u c l e o t i d e s a n d p h o s p h o l i p i d s . 1 1 - 1 3

One s u c h a n t i b o d y a l s o h a d l u p u s a n t i c o a g u l a n t a c t i v i t y . I n

s u c h a n t i b o d i e s t h e a n t i g e n i c d e t e r m i n a n t s a p p e a r e d t o b e

t h e p h o s p h o d i e s t e r l i n k e d p h o s p h a t e g r o u p p r e s e n t i n s o m e

p h o s p h o l i p i d s , i n c l u d i n g c a r d i o l i p i n , a s w e l l a s i n t h e s u g a r

p h o s p h a t e b a c k b o n e o f p o l y n u c l e o t i d e s s u c h a s D N A . J - 1 3

C e r t a i n r e s t r i c t e d g r o u p s o f l y m p h o c y t e s may p r o d u c e a n t i -

b o d i e s w i t h i d i o t y p i c d i v e r s i t y . Of i n t e r e s t i s t h e r e p o r t t h a t

i m m u n i s a t i o n o f n o r m a l r a b b i t s o r m i c e w i t h c a r d i o l i p i n

s t i m u l a t e s t h e p r o d u c t i o n o f b o t h a n t i c a r d i o l i p i n a n d a n t i -

DNA a n t i b o d i e s . 1 3

T h e s e l a b o r a t o r y s t u d i e s when t a k e n w i t h t h e i r c l i n i c a l

c o u n t e r p a r t s s u g g e s t t h a t t h e s e a n t i b o d i e s m ay h a v e p a t h o -g e n i c i m p o r t a n c e . B y i m p l i c a t i o n , t h e r e f o r e , t h e i r r e m o v a l b y

i m m u n o s u p p r e s s i o n , p l a s m a p h e r e s i s , o r ( o n e d a y ) b y t h e u s e

Page 2: Thrombosis, abortion, cerebral disease, and the lupus anticoagulant

7/28/2019 Thrombosis, abortion, cerebral disease, and the lupus anticoagulant.

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/thrombosis-abortion-cerebral-disease-and-the-lupus-anticoagulant 2/2

BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL VOLUME 28 7 1 5 OCTOBER 1983 1089

o f a n t i - i d i o t y p e s m i g h t b e e x p e c te d t o h a v e t h e r a p e u t i c v a l u e .O b s e r v a t i o n s i n o u r u n i t ( u n p u b l i s h e d ) h a v e s h o w n t h a t i nc e r t a i n c i r c u m s t a n c e s i m m u n o s u p p r e s s i o n d o e s r e s u l t i nd i s a p p e a r a n c e o f t h e l u p u s a n t i c o a g u l a n t . F u r t h e r m o r e ,

L u b b e e t a l r e c e n t l y r e p o r t e d s u c c e s s f u l p r e g n a n c i e s i n f i v ep a t i e n t s who h a d p r e v i o u s l y h a d s p o n t a n e o u s a b o r t i o n s a n d

w h o s e l u p u s a n t i c o a g u l a n t d i s a p p e a r e d o n i m m u n o s u p p r e s s i v e

t r e a t m e n t . ' 4

Of e v e n w i d e r c l i n i c a l i n t e r e s t i s t h e p o s s i b i l i t y t h a t s u c ha n t i b o d i e s may r e a c t w i t h c o m p l e x b r a i n l i p i d s s u c h a ss p h i n g o m y e l i n . C l i n i c a l s t u d i e s h a v e h i nt e d t h a t t h e c e r e b r a lf e a t u r e s o f s y s t e m i c l u p u s e r y t h e m a t o s u s may b e a s s o c i a t e dw i t h t h e p r e s e n c e o f t h i s f a m i l y o f a n t i b o d i e s . To s t u d y t h i sp o s s i b i l i t y , t h e a s s a y s u s e d t o d e t e c t a n t i l i p i d a n t i b o d i e s w o u l d

n e e d t o b e r e f i n e d ; s o b o t h c l i n i c a l a n d r e s e a r c h i n t e r e s t h a sb e e n s t i m u l a t e d b y t h e r e c e n t s t u d y b y H a r r i s e t a l , who h a v e

d e v e l o p e d a s e n s i t i v e s o l i d p h a s e r a d i o i m m u n o a s s a y f o ra n t i c a r d i o l i p i n a n t i b o d i e s s o m e 2 0 0 - 4 0 0 t i me s m o r e s e n s i t i v et h a n , f o r e x a m p l e , t h e p r e c i p i t a t i o n m e t h o d u s e d i n t h eV e n e r e a l D i s e a s e R e s e a r c h L a b o r a t o r y t e s t . 1 5 T h e r e w a s a

s t r o n g c o r r e l a t i o n b e t w e e n r a i s e d t i t r e s o f a n t i c a r d i o l i p i na n t i b o d i e s a n d v e n o u s a n d a r t e r i a l t h r o m b o s i s . Of t h e 1 5p a t i e n t s w i t h t h e h i g h e s t a n t i c a r d i o l i p i n a n t i b o d y t i t r e s , s i xh a d a h i s t o r y o f v e n o u s t h r o m b o s i s a n d f i v e h a d c e r e b r a lt h r o mb o s i s w i t h o u t o t h e r p r e d i s p o s i n g f a c t o r s . Tw o e a c h h a d

p u l m o n a r y h y p e r t e n s i o n a n d m u l t i p l e a b o r t i o n s .T h i s s i m p l e i m m u n o a s s a y a p p e a r s t o h a v e p r e d i c t i v e v a l u e

f o r t h r o m b o s i s i n s y s t e m i c l u p u s e r y t h e m a t o s u s a n d r e l a t e dd i s o r d e r s . H a r r i s e t a l a l s o f o u n d h i g h t i t r e s o f a n t i c a r d i o l i p i na n d a n t i s p h i n g o m y e l i n a n t i b o d i e s i n a p a t i e n t w i t h t r a n s v e r s e

m y e l i t i s a n d a f a l s e p o s i t i v e V e n e r a l D i s ea s e R e s e a r c h

L a b o r a t o r y t e s t r e s u l t . T h i s d i s e a s e h a d f e a t u r e s s i m i l a r t ot h e e n d e m i c J a m a i c a n d i s e a s e " J a m a i c a n n e u r o p a t h y " - a

m e n i n g o m y e l i t i s i n w h i c h s i m i l a r a b n o r m a l i t i e s h a v e b e e n

s e e n . 1 6 1 7

S p r e a d i n g t h e n e t e v e n f u r t h e r , t h e y r e p o r t e d h i g h t i t r ea n t i c a r d i o l i p i n a n t i b o d y v a l u e s i n a p a t i e n t w i t h B e h > e t ' sd i s e a s e - a s y n d r o m e c h a r a c t e r i s e d b y t h r o m b o s i s a n d f e a t u r e so f c e n t r a l n e r v o u s s y s t e m d i s e a s e i n c l u d i n g m y e l o p a t h y .

Th e p o t e n t i a l i m p l i c a t i o n s o f r e s e a r c h i n t o a n t i b o d i e s s u c h a s

a n t i c a r d i o l i p i n a n d a n t i s p h i n g o m y e l i n a n t i b o d i e s a r e o b v i o u s ,w i t h c l i n i c a l a p p l i c a t i o n s i n o t h e r d i s e a s e s w h e r e t h r o m b o s i s o r

d e m y e l i n a t i o n o c c u r .T h e s e a n t i b o d i e s m a y , o f c o u r s e , b e e p i p h e n o m e n a -

f e l l o w t r a v e l l e r s w i t h l i t t l e o r n o p a t h o g e n i c i m p o r t a n c e .T h a t s e e m s u n l i k e l y . T h o u g h t h e r e s u l t s o f t h e i m m u n o -

l o g i c a l a n a l y s i s a r e a l w a y s o p e n t o d i s p u t e a n d t h e a s s o c i a t i o nw i t h n e u r o l o g i c a l d i s e a s e i s s t i l l s p e c u l a t i v e , t h e c l i n i c a la s s o c i a t i o n w i t h t h r o m b o t i c d i s e a s e a p p e a r s s t r o n g .

F o r t h o s e o f u s h a r d e n e d i n t o n i h i l i s m b y y e a r s o f s t u d yo f v a r i o u s a u t o a n t i b o d i e s i n s y s t e m i c l u p u s e r y t h e m a t o s u s ,t h e r e i s a r a r e s e n s e o f e x c i t e m e n t a t t h e i m p l i c a t i o n s o f t h e

a s s o c i a t i o n s now b e i n g r e p o r t e d .

GRAHAM R V HUGHES

C o n s u l t a n t P h y s i c i a n ,Hammersmith H o s p i t a l ,London W1 2 OH S

1 C o l a c o CH, E l k o n KB, G h a r a v i AE, Hu gh es GRV. Th e l u p u s a n t i -c o a g u l a n t : c l i n i c a l a n d l a b o r a t o r y a s s o c i a t i o n s . ( A b s t r a c t . ) An n RheumD i s 1 9 8 3 ; 4 2 : 2 2 8 .

2 L a u r e l l B - B , N i l s s o n IM. H y p e r g a m m a g l o b u l i n e m i a , c i r c u l a t i n g a n t i -c o a g u l a n t , a n d b i o l o g i c f a l s e p o s i t i v e Wassermann r e a c t i o n . J L a b

C l i n Me d 1 9 5 7 ; 4 9 : 6 9 4 - 7 0 7 .

3 B y r o n MA . The c l o t t i n g d e f e c t i n SLE. C l i n Rheum D i s 1 9 8 2 ; 8 : 1 3 7 - 5 1 .4 B o w i e EJW, Thompson JH J r , P a s c u z z i CA, Owen CA J r . T h r o m b o s i s

i n s y s t e m i c l u p u s e r y t h e m a t o s u s d e s p i t e c i r c u l a t i n g a n t i c o a g u l a n t s .

J L a b C l i n Me d 1 9 6 3 ; 6 2 : 4 1 6 - 3 0 .

5 F i r k i n BG , Howard MA, R a d f o r d N. P o s s i b l e r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n l u p u s

i n h i b i t o r a n d r e cu r r en t a b o rt i o n i n young women. L a n c e t 1 9 8 0 ; i i : 3 6 6 .

6 Manoharan A , G i b s o n L , Rush B , F e e r y B J . R e c u r r e n t v e n o u s t h r o m -

b o s i s w i t h a " l u p u s " c o a g u l a t i o n i n h i b i t o r i n t h e a b s e n c e o f s y s t e m i c

l u p u s . A u s t NZ3r Me d 1 9 7 7 ; 7 : 4 2 2 - 6 .

7 C a r r e r a s LO, D e f r e y n G , M a c h i n s S J , e t a l . A r t e r i a l t h r o m b o s i s , i n t r a u -

t e r i n e d e a t h a n d " l u p u s " a n t i c o a g u l a n t : d e t e c t i o n o f i m m u n o g l o b u l i n

i n t e r f e r i n g w i t h p r o s t a c y c l i n f o r m a t i o n . L a n c e t 1 9 8 1 ; i : 2 4 4 - 6 .8 Mueh J R , H e r b s t KD, R a p a p o r t S I . T h r o m b o s i s i n p at i en ts w i t h t h e

l u p u s a n t i c o a g u l a n t . An n I n t e r n Me d 1 9 8 0 ; 9 2 : 1 5 6 - 9 .9 B o e y ML, C o l a c o CB, G h a r a v i AE, E l k o n KB, L o i z o u S , Hughes GRV.

T h r o m b o s i s i n SLE: s t r i k i n g a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h t h e p r e s e n c e o f c i r c u l a t i n gl u p u s a n t i c o a g u l a n t . Br M e d J 3 1 9 8 3 ; 2 8 7 : 1 0 2 1 - 3 .

1 ' A s h e r s o n RA, Mackworth-Young CG , B o e y ML, e t a l . P u l m o n a r y

h y p e r t e n s i o n i n s y s t e m i c l u p u s e r y t h e m a t o s u s . Br Me d J 7 1 9 8 3 ; 2 8 7 :

1 0 2 4 - 5 .1 L a f e r EM, Rauch J , A n d r z e j e w s k i C J r , e t a l . P o l y s p e c i f i c m o n o c l o n a l

l u p u s a u t o a n t i b o d i e s r e a c t i v e w i t h b o t h p o l y n u c l e o t i d e s a n d p h o s p h o -

l i p i d s . 7 Ex p Me d 1 9 8 1 ; 1 5 3 : 8 9 7 - 9 0 9 .1 2 S h o e n f e l d Y , Rauch J , M a s s i c o t t e H, e t a l . P o l y s p e c i f i c i t y o f m o n o c l o n a l

l u p u s a u t o a n t i b o d i e s p r o d u c e d b y h u m a n - h u m a n h y b r i d o m a s . N E n g l

J Me d 1 9 8 2 ; 3 0 8 : 4 1 4 - 2 0 .1 3 S c h w a r t z R S . M o n o c l o n a l l u p u s a u t o a n t i b o d i e s . I m m u n o l o g y T o d a y

1 9 8 3 ; 4 : 6 8 - 9 .1 4 Lubbe WF , B u t l e r WS, P a l m e r S J , L i g g i n s GC. F e t a l s u r v i v a l a f t e r

p r e d n i s o n e s u p p r e s s i o n o f m a t e r n a l l u p u s - a n t i c o a g u l a n t . L a n c e t

1 9 8 3 ; i : 1 4 6 1 - 2 .5 H a r r i s EN, G h a r a v i AE, B o e y ML, e t a l . A n t i c a r d i o l i p i n a n t i b o d i e s :

d e t e c t i o n b y r a d i o i m m u no a s s a y a n d a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h t h r o m b o s i s i n

SLE. L a n c e t ( i n p r e s s ) .1 6 W i l s o n WA, Hughes GRV. A e t i o l o g y o f J a m a i c a n n e u r o p a t h y . L a n c e t

1 9 7 5 ; i : 3 4 5 .1 7 Hughes GRV. C en tr a l n e r v o u s s y s t e m l u p u s - d i a g n o s i s a n d t r e a t m e n t .

7 R h e u m a t o l 1 9 8 0 ; 7 : 4 0 5 - 1 1 .

M a l a r i a v a c c i n a t i o n : t w os t e p s f o r w a r d , o n e b a c k w a r d

I n t h e t w o y e a r s s i n c e t h e t o p i c o f m a l a r i a v a c c i n a t i o n w a s l a s t

r e v i e w e d i n t h e BMJ1 i m p o r t a n t t e c h n i c a l a d v a n c e s h a v e

b e e n m a d e i n t h e s e a r c h f o r a n t i g e n s t h a t c a n i n d u c e a p r o -

t e c t i v e r e s p o n s e a g a i n s t t h e v a r i o u s s t a g e s o f t h e m a l a r i a

p a r a s i t e . Th e p e r t i n e n t q u e s t i o n i s w h e t h e r , o r t o w h a t d e g r e e ,

t h e s e a d v a n c e s b r i n g u s c l o s e r t o t h e m a n u f a c t u r e a n d p r a c t i c a l

d e p l o y m e n t o f a v a c c i n e t o p r o t e c t p e o p l e a g a i n s t t h i s d i s e a s e .

W i t h o u t q u e s t i o n m u l t i p l e d r u g r e s i s t a n c e i n t h e m a l i g n a n t

t e r t i a n p a r a s i t e , P l a s m o d i u m f a l c i p a r u m , i s s p r e a d i n g a l a r m i n g l ya c r o s s t h e e a s t e r n p a r t s o f t h e A f r i c a n c o n t i n e n t a n d M a d a g a s -

c a r . R e s i s t a n c e i s a l s o e x t e n d i n g w e s t w a r d s a c r o s s I n d i a a n d

e a s t w a r d s a s f a r a s m a l a r i a g o e s i n t h e s o u t h w e s t P a c i f i c . The

e n d e m i c a r e a s o f L a t i n A m e r i c a , t o o , h a v e f a c e d t h i s p r o b l e m

f o r many y e a r s . R a d i c a l l y new a n t i m a l a r i a l d r u g s a r e m o s t

u n l i k e l y t o b e c o m e a v a i l a b l ei n t h e s h o r t t e r m , e s p e c i a l l y

f o r p r o p h y l a x i s . R e p o r t s o n m e f l o q u i n e , a p o t e n t , s y n t h e t i c

a n a l o g u e o f q u i n i n e , a r e a l r e a d y t h r o w i n g u p h i n t s t h a t p a r a -

s i t e s c a n b e c o m e r e s i s t a n t t o i t , e v e n t h o u g h t h e d r u g i s s t i l l

o n l y i n t h e s t a g e o f c l i n i c a l t r i a l . A r t e m i s i n i n e ( Q i n g h a o s u ) , t h e

new d e r i v a t i v e o f a n a n c i e n t C h i n e s e h e r b a l r e m e d y , i s a t a n

e a r l y s t a g e o f i t s d e v e l o p m e n t a n d l o o k s l i k e l y t o l e n d i t s e l f

o n l y t o t h e r a p e u t i c a n d n o t t o p r o p h y l a c t i c u s e . O t h e r new

d r u g s s u c h a s h a l o f a n t r i n e ( i n a s e n s e a n a n a l o g u e o f m e f l o -

q u i n e ) a n d a new s e r i e s o f q u i n o n e s w h i c h a r e t h e s u b j e c t o f

p a t e n t a p p l i c a t i o n s b y t h e W e l l c o m e F o u n d a t i o n w i l l n e e d a t

l e a s t f i v e m o r e y e a r s o f i n v e s t i g a t i o n b e f o r e t h e y c o u l d b e

w i d e l y a p p l i e d e v e n i f t h e y o v e r c o m e a l l t h e h u r d l es o f new

d r u g d e v e l o p m e n t . No new i n s e c t i c i d e s a r e o n t h e h o r i z o n

t h a t a r e b o t h t e c h n i c a l l y s u p e r i o r t o DDT a n d e c o n o m i c a l l yd e p l o y a b l e b y m o s t T h i r d W o r l d c o u n t r i e s . I n e v i t a b l y , t h e r e -

f o r e , g r e a t h o p e s a r e b e i n g p i n n e d o n t h e m a l a r i a v a c c i n e s a s