Major Histocompatibility Complex Class II Alleles Influence Induction of Pathogenic Antiphospholipid Antibodies in a Mouse Model of Thrombosis.

Objective: Both environmental and genetic factors are important in the development of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Currently, the only available data on predisposing genetic factors have been obtained from epidemiologic studies, without mechanistic evidence. Therefore, we studied the influence of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II alleles on the production of aPL in a mouse model of APS.