Antiphospholipid syndrome in medicine refers to a disorder in which the immune system mistakenly begins to produce antibodies directed against certain normal blood proteins. This situation subsequently often provokes the formation of blood clots, as well as complications during pregnancy (miscarriage, stillbirth, etc.). In this article, we will talk about the main symptoms of this problem, as well as consider what the treatment of antiphospholipid syndrome should be.
Main reasons
As noted above, with this syndrome, the immune system itself damages proteins that bind phospholipids (these are fats that are present in the blood and are very important for its normal clotting). At the moment, experts conditionally distinguish two types of this problem:
- Primary - caused by infections or certain diseases (for example, HIV, malaria, hepatitis C, etc.).
- The secondary type is usually observed in patients who have previously been diagnosed with any autoimmune disease. So, in this case, the development of antiphospholipid syndrome may be caused by a primary autoimmune disorder.
Symptoms
Today, experts identify several characteristic features of antiphospholipid syndrome. Here are just a few of them:
- formation of blood clots in the veins of the legs;
- dead stillbirth, frequent miscarriages or other pregnancy complications;
- stroke;
- regular headaches, convulsions;
- rash on the skin in the form of a grid;
- cardiovascular disease;
- bleeding.
Antiphospholipid syndrome. Diagnosis
According to experts, such a violation can be suspected in patients under 45 years of age, if they have already been diagnosed with a stroke or myocardial infarction. In this case, doctors strongly recommend undergoing a complete examination in order to confirm or, conversely, refute such a problem as antiphospholipid syndrome. Analyzes in this situation play far from the last role. So, laboratory confirmation of the disease is the presence of antibodies to various kinds of phospholipids through the so-called enzyme immunoassay.
What should be the treatment?
First of all, you should find out the prioritya disease that directly led to the development of antiphospholipid syndrome. The effectiveness of this therapy is to reduce the amount of antibodies to phospholipids. In addition, drugs are prescribed that are responsible for reducing coagulation
blood abilities (for example, antiplatelet agents), as well as antihistamines (reduce allergic mood). If in laboratory conditions an increased content of antibodies in the blood was detected, as a result, there is a threat of acute thrombosis. In this kind of situation, plasmapheresis is most often prescribed. In women in a position with such a diagnosis, timely diagnosis and complete control over pregnancy are necessary. In some cases, drugs are prescribed to avoid complications.
