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Associations between antiphospholipid antibodies and disease activity in Southern Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Comprehensive research on the relationship between systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) in Southern Chinese patients remains limited. In this study, a retrospective cohort analysis was conducted comparing clinical data from aPL-positive and aPL-negative SLE patients. Among the 120 aPL-positive patients, the positivity rates for specific antibodies were as follows: 40.8% for aCL-IgG, 7.1% for aCL-IgM, 3.4% for aCL-IgA, 27.7% for β2GPI-IgG, and 21.0% for LAC. SLEDAI-2K scores were significantly higher in the aPL-positive group than in the negative controls (p < 0.0001). Additionally, aPL-positive patients exhibited reduced C3 and C4 levels alongside elevated dsDNA antibodies, circulating immune complexes (CIC), and IgM (p < 0.05). Notably, positivity for aCL-IgG, β2GPI-IgG, and LAC showed significant positive correlations with SLEDAI-2K scores (p < 0.01). The positive group also had a significantly higher SLICC/ACR Damage Index (SDI) (p = 0.033) and incidence of thrombotic events (p = 0.046). Multi-organ involvement was more extensive in aPL-positive than in aPL-negative patients (p = 0.004), with distinct organ involvement patterns observed across different aPL subtypes. In conclusion, patients with active SLE and aPL-positivity demonstrated significantly elevated disease activity and more extensive multi-organ involvement compared to their aPL-negative counterparts.

Source: Critical Public Health

DOI: 10.1080/09581596.2025.2581942