High IgA antiphospholipid autoantibodies in healthy Sudanese explain the increased prevalence among Sudanese compared to Swedish systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

Objectives: IgA antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) are prevalent in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients of African American, Afro-Caribbean and South African origin. Nevertheless, data from North Africa are lacking, and most studies use manufacturer-suggested cut-offs based on Caucasian controls. Therefore, we compared aPL isotypes in Sudanese and Swedish SLE patients using nation-based cut-offs.

Methods: Consecutive SLE patients and age- and sex-matched controls from Sudan ( = 115/106) and Sweden ( = 340/318) were included. All patients fulfilled the 1982 American College of Rheumatology SLE classification criteria. Antiphospholipid syndrome-related events were obtained from patients' records. IgA/G/M anticardiolipin and anti-β glycoprotein I (βGPI) were analysed with two independent assays. IgA anti-βGPI domain 1 (D1) was also investigated. Manufacturers' cut-offs and the 95th and 99th percentile cut-offs based on national controls were used.

Results: Sudanese patients and controls had higher levels and were more often positive for IgA aPL than Swedes when using manufacturers' cut-offs. In contrast, using national cut-offs, the increase in IgA aPL among Sudanese patients was lost. Occurrence of IgA anti-D1 did not differ between the countries. Venous thromboses were less common among Sudanese patients and did not associate with aPL. No clinical associations were observed with IgA anti-βGPI in Sudanese patients. Thromboses in Swedes were associated with IgG/M aPL. Fetal loss was associated with aPL in both cohorts.

Conclusions: IgA anti-βGPI prevalence was higher among Sudanese compared to Swedish patients when manufacturers' cut-offs were used. This situation was reversed when applying national cut-offs. Anti-D1 was not increased in Sudanese patients. Previous studies on populations of African origin, which demonstrate a high prevalence of IgA aPL positivity, should be re-evaluated using a similar cut-off approach.