Congenital heart block not associated with anti-Ro/La antibodies: comparison with anti-Ro/La-positive cases.

Objective: To study anti-Ro/La-negative congenital heart block (CHB).

Methods: Forty-five fetuses with CHB were evaluated by analysis of anti-Ro/La antibodies using sensitive laboratory methods.

Results: There were 9 cases of anti-Ro/La-negative CHB; 3 died (33.

Case reports of the use of immunoadsorption or plasma exchange in high-risk pregnancies of women with antiphospholipid syndrome.

Conventional treatment of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) pregnancies with aspirin and/or heparin is sometimes unable to counteract maternal and/or fetal complications. In this article we report the cases of two patients who were unresponsive to conventional treatment for APS during their first pregnancy, and who were treated in the following pregnancy with plasma exchange and immunoadsorption respectively, in addition to conventional therapy. Both patients had a history of thrombotic events, a previous pregnancy loss at the 11th week of gestation and the same antiphospholipid antibody profile (lupus anticoagulant activity and high titers of immunoglobulin G (IgG) anti-beta2 glycoprotein I and IgG anticardiolipin antibodies).

Recovery from catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome by a plasma exchange procedure: report of four cases and review of the literature.

Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome (CAPS) is a rare (1%), life-threatening variant of Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS). It has been found that the recovery rate is best when the treatment protocol includes anticoagulants, steroids and therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE). The treatment of CAPS with TPE is not, however, well defined as procedure modalities have not yet been standardized, and the best replacement fluid for TPE is still a controversial issue.

Influence of different IgG anticardiolipin antibody cut-off values on antiphospholipid syndrome classification.

Background: While medium to high titers of anticardiolipin (aCL) antibodies, defined as >40 GPL units or >99th percentile, is a laboratory criteria for the 'definite' diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), agreement between the two cut-offs has not been validated.

Objective: To validate the current aCL laboratory criterion by verifying the effect of the two cut-offs on APS classification.

Patients/methods: Ninety aCL positive APS patients were selected on the basis of their GPL values above the 99th percentile (17.

The antiphospholipid syndrome and infections in a child with trisomy 21.

The relationship between infections and antiphospholipid antibodies or antiphospholipid syndrome is an intriguing question. A two and a half year old child with trisomy 21, who suffered three severe episodes of thrombosis each taking place after an infection, is described here. As high titres of IgG anticardiolipin (ACL) antibodies was registered during the second and third episodes, the antiphospholipid syndrome was suspected.

An analysis of experimental conditions influencing the anti-beta2-glycoprotein I ELISA assay results.

Five components of the anti-beta(2)-glycoprotein I (abeta(2)GPI) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (coating buffer, microplate brand, blocking buffer, dilution buffer, and conjugate) were analyzed to evaluate how they affect variability in test results. Thirty-two samples from patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) positive for abeta(2)GPI IgG antibodies and three calibrators (a pool of abeta(2)GPI-positive patients, the monoclonal HCAL antibody, and a home-made calibrator) were tested. No differences with regard to the blocking step were noted.

Plasma exchange in the management of high risk pregnant patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome. A report of 9 cases and a review of the literature.

A second-line treatment protocol including plasma exchange (PE) in addition to the standard therapies was scheduled and utilized in our hospital with the intent of improving the outcome of high risk pregnancies of women with primary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). This paper chronologically reports and discusses the results obtained in these patients over a 15-year period. Between April 1991 and September 2006, 142 pregnancies of patients with APS were followed by us.

[Urticaria and angioedema].

Urticaria is a common complaint characterized by the eruption of cutaneous wheals, accompanied by redness and itching and in which mast cells are thought to play a central role. Wheals range from a few millimeters to several centimeters in diameter and are usually short lasting, except in case of urticarial vasculitis in which they last longer than 24 hours. Urticaria may occur alone or be associated with angioedema, that can be defined as a deep dermal and subcutaneous edema typically affecting the lips, face, hands, feet, penis or scrotum.