ABSTRACT
Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) has been described in patients suffering from a systemic autoimmune disease, mainly systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), or in patients without any other disorder, in which case the condition is called "primary" APS. Animal models have been described in both lupus-prone mice spontaneously producing antiphospholipid antibodies and normal mice infused with antiphospholipid antibodies or stimulated to produce them in various ways to resemble the secondary and primary APS described in human pathology. Since 1988 immunization with human anti-DNA antibodies has been known to induce SLE in normal mice. Intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) have proven beneficial in the treatment of pregnant APS patients; however, probably because of the high cost of IVIG, the number of case reports is small. The prevention of pregnancy loss in women with APS has been achieved with aspirin alone, aspirin with prednisone, heparin, high doses of intravenous immunoglobulin, and plasma exchange.
