THE ASSOCIATION OF ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID ANTIBODIES IN PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Aim: Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is one of the most common acquired causes of arterial and venous thrombosis. The diagnosis is made based on the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (APA), anticardiolipin antibodies (aCLA), lupus anticoagulant (LA), and anti-beta 2-glycoprotein I antibody levels and clinical criteria. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. From time to time, MS and APS can cause diagnostic confusion for clinical and cranial involvement. We aimed to investigate the frequency of APA in patients with and without MS after being admitted for a differential diagnosis of MS. Materials and methods: The laboratory values for vasculitis/MS differential diagnosis for the last 14 months were analyzed in this retrospective cross-sectional study. The patients were categorized into those who were diagnosed as having MS and those who were not (MS-like) based on the McDonald criteria. The patients' APA IgG and IgM antibodies, aCLA IgG and IgM, and LA values were recorded. Correlation regarding the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores of the patients with MS was investigated. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Of 125 patients, 42 had MS and 83 had MS-like illnesses. LA was found negative in 21 (50%) patients and positive in 21 (50%) patients in the MS group. LA was found negative in 26 (31%) patients and positive in 57 (69%) patients in the MS-like group. The difference between the groups was statistically significant (p=0.04). There were positive APA values in 1 patient, and positive aCLA values in 3 patients in the MS group, and positive APA values in 3 patients, and positive aCLA values in 4 patients in the MS-like group. This difference between the groups was not statistically significant (p=0.9). There was no correlation found between EDSS and LA in the patients with MS. Conclusion: The prevalence of antiphospholipid antibodies in MS is a controversial topic. Our study had a higher prevalence of LA in the patients with MS than in the normal population but lower than in the MS-like group. APS should be taken into consideration in the differential diagnosis of patients with MS-like conditions.