Diseases

Antiphospolipid Syndrome

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Antiphospholipid syndrome or antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS or APLS), is an autoimmune, hypercoagulable state caused by antiphospholipidantibodies.

SYMPTOMS

Signs and symptoms of antiphospholipid syndrome can include:

Blood clots in your legs (DVT). The clots can travel to your lungs (pulmonary embolism).
Repeated miscarriages or stillbirths. Other complications of pregnancy include premature delivery and high blood pressure during pregnancy (preeclampsia).
Stroke. A stroke can occur in a young person who has antiphospholipid syndrome but no known risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.
Transitory ischemic attack (TIA). Similar to a stroke, a TIA usually lasts only a few minutes and causes no permanent damage.
Rash. Some people develop a red rash with a lacy, net-like pattern (livedo reticularis).

CAUSES

In antiphospholipid syndrome, your blood clots abnormally because your body mistakenly produces antibodies that attack phospholipids, a type of fat that plays a key role in clotting. Antibodies are proteins that normally protect the body against invaders, such as viruses and bacteria.