What Is Antiphospholipid Syndrome?
2. Antiphospholipid Syndrome
Antiphospholipid syndrome is an autoimmune condition that can be acquired during a person’s lifetime. This means that your immune system attacks its own healthy tissue by mistake, as a result of a mix of genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors. It does this by producing auto-antibodies, known as antiphospholipid antibodies, that target protein that attaches to fat molecules on the outer layer of cells. By poorly understood mechanisms, this causes a dysregulation of blood coagulation that makes the formation of blood clots (thrombosis) much more likely to occur.
These alterations can lead to dangerous clotting in arteries and veins, which can result in the formation of blood clots in the arms, legs, lungs, brain, or kidneys. Antiphospholipid syndrome, when present in pregnant women, can cause miscarriage and stillbirth.
Advertisement
