PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Navid Zohoury AU - Maria Laura Bertolaccini AU - Jose Luis Rodriguez-Garcia AU - Zakera Shums AU - Oier Ateka–Barrutia AU - Maurizio Sorice AU - Gary L. Norman AU - Munther Khamashta TI - Closing the Serological Gap in the Antiphospholipid Syndrome: The Value of “Non-criteria” Antiphospholipid Antibodies AID - 10.3899/jrheum.170044 DP - 2017 Nov 01 TA - The Journal of Rheumatology PG - 1597--1602 VI - 44 IP - 11 4099 - http://www.jrheum.org/content/44/11/1597.short 4100 - http://www.jrheum.org/content/44/11/1597.full SO - J Rheumatol2017 Nov 01; 44 AB - Objective. Most clinicians use the 2006 Sydney classification criteria to evaluate patients suspected of having antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Although sensitive and specific for APS, many patients fulfilling clinical criteria for the syndrome are persistently negative for the specific serological tests (“laboratory criteria”). These “seronegative APS” (SN-APS) patients can go undiagnosed and untreated until they experience serious clinical events. This study’s objective was to describe antibody profiles of SN-APS patients using non-criteria markers, assess the clinical utility of these markers separately and in combination, and suggest incorporation into guidelines for patients suspected of APS.Methods. We categorized 175 consecutive patients suspected of APS into 2 subgroups: 107 fulfilling Sydney APS classification for seropositive APS (SP-APS) and 68 with clinical manifestations suggestive of APS but having negative serology, on 2 occasions, for criteria markers (SN-APS). On study inclusion, samples were retested for criteria and 11 non-criteria markers, including antiphosphatidylserine/prothrombin antibodies.Results. Using 4 of 11 non-criteria tests, a cumulative 30.9% of SN-APS patients were detected. Combining results of all 11 non-criteria tests, 25 SN-APS (36.8%) and 89 SP-APS (83.2%) were positive for 1 or more non-criteria antibodies.Conclusion. Failure to diagnose APS can result in severe clinical consequences. Patients displaying clinical features of APS, but negative for conventional criteria markers, should undergo additional testing for non-criteria biomarkers. In our cohort, around one-third of SN-APS patients showed reactivity to 1 or more non-criteria markers. An update to the current classification criteria incorporating new serological markers should be considered to identify and stratify patients with APS for more effective treatment and management.