Abstract: . . .  risk if they have an abnor- mality of any of the numerous proteins in the body that are involved in maintaining the bal- ance between clotting and bleeding. One of the most common hypercoaguable conditions in SLE is the antiphospholipid (aPL) syndrome . Patients with this syndrome make autoantibodies to phospholipids and/or a protein known as b2-glycoprotein I. The result of such antibody formation can be the development of blood clots in the: 1) large veins of the legs or arms (deep vein thrombosis), 2) arteries of the lung (pulmonary embolus), 3) arteries of the brain, heart, or abdomen (stroke, heart attack, bowel infarction, respectively), or 4) ves- sels of the placenta (miscarriage). Patients with lupus kidney disease (lupus nephritis) who lose a lot of protein in their urine may also be hypercoaguable. Patients who have had blood clots are typically treated with anticoagulants (heparin, Coumadin ), medicines that prevent clot formation. Page 3 The Future Vascular biology is an exciting field, and it is assured that a greater understanding of the vas- cular system in SLE will arise from current and future research efforts. This will no doubt eventually result in safer and more effective therapies to deal with autoimmune diseases like SLE. Richard Furie, MD is Chief of the Division of Rheumatology and Allergy-Clinical Immunology, North Shore University Hospital and Associate Professor of Medicine, NYU School of Medicine To ensure the delivery of services to those affected by lupus through affiliate members and other agencies and to fund research efforts. Articles published are written by physicians, nurses, and other healthcare profession- als. The Lupus Alliance of America does not endorse any of the articles published herein. We oppose self-diagnosis and self-prescribed treatment and urge readers to discuss any concerns they have about diagnosis and treatment with their physicians. MISSION DISCLAIMER The Lupus Alliance . . .
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