Gastrointestinal symptoms as the first manifestation of antiphospholipid syndrome

• Published in: BMC gastroenterology Vol. 21; no. 1; p. 148
• Main Authors: Zou, Xiaojuan, Fan, Zhongqi, Zhao, Ling, Xu, Weiling, Zhang, Jin, Jiang, Zhenyu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 01.04.2021; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Abdomen; Antibodies; Antibodies, Anticardiolipin; Antibodies, Antiphospholipid; Anticoagulants; Antiphospholipid antibodies; Antiphospholipid syndrome; Antiphospholipid Syndrome - complications; Antiphospholipid Syndrome - diagnosis; Asymptomatic; Autoantibodies; Autoimmune diseases; Biochemistry; Blood clots; Cardiolipin; Case Report; Case studies; Computed tomography; Departments; Diagnosis; Disease; Drug dosages; Esophagus; Gastroenteritis; Gastroenterology; Gastrointestinal surgery; Glycoprotein I; Hospitals; Humans; Immunoglobulins; Intestinal necrosis; Intestinal obstruction; Intestine; Laboratories; Literature reviews; Lupus; Mesenteric thrombosis; Pain; Patients; Phospholipids; Plasma proteins; Population; Rheumatology; Risk factors; Thrombosis; Thrombosis - etiology; Tomography; Veins & arteries; China; Mesenteric thrombosis; Intestinal obstruction; Intestinal necrosis; Antiphospholipid antibodies; Antiphospholipid syndrome
• ISSN: 1471-230X; 1471-230X
• DOI: 10.1186/s12876-021-01736-2

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an acquired pre-thrombotic autoimmune condition, which produces autoantibodies called antiphospholipid antibodies (APL) against phospholipid-binding plasma proteins. The diagnosis of APS requires at least one of Sapporo standard clinical manifestations and one laboratory criteria (persistently medium/high titer anticardiolipin antibodies, and/or medium/high titer anti-β2-glycoprotein I antibodies, and/or a positive lupus anticoagulant test). Gastrointestinal lesions are rarely reported in APS patients. APS cases with recurrent abdominal pain as the first clinical manifestation are even rarer. This report describes an APS case with recurrent abdominal pain as the first clinical manifestation of antiphospholipid syndrome. The patient has a history of two miscarriages. Computed tomography of the abdomen confirmed mesenteric thrombosis and intestinal obstruction while laboratory tests for serum antiphospholipid and anti-β2-glycoprotein I antibodies were positive. This led to the diagnosis of APS. This paper provides useful information on gastrointestinal manifestations and APS, also including a brief literature review about possible gastrointestinal symptoms of APS.