Anti-beta-2-Glycoprotein

The assay contributes to the diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). The clinical symptoms of APS alone are not sufficiently specific to make a definitive diagnosis. Laboratory tests thus play an important role in the diagnosis of the disease. In patients with APS, autoantibodies are formed that bind to phospholipids like cardiolipin or to phospholipid-binding proteins like beta-2-glycoprotein. Detection of these autoantibodies is an integral part of the classification criteria issued by the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis. Beta-2-GPI antibodies are associated with the occurrence of arterial or venous thrombosis, as well as with recurring miscarriage. Beta-2-GPI antibodies are considered to have a higher specificity than cardiolipin antibodies for the detection of APS; they can be detected even when the cardiolipin test result is negative.