Antiphospholipid antibodies: A new risk factor for restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty?

Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) have been found to be associated with arterial and venous thrombosis. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is an established therapy for ischaemic heart disease (IHD), which is still affected by restenosis at a rate of 30-30%. This study was aimed at investigating the possible role of aPL in restenosis after PTCA. In sixty consecutive IHD patients, aPL (lupus anticoagulant -LA- and anticardiolipin antibodies -aCL) and markers of haemostatic activation were investigated before PTCA, and patients were followed up for restenosis. No infections, autoimmune disease or treatment by drugs that may alter aPL levels occurred in any of the patients. aPL were found in 15/60 patients: aCL in 7/60, LA in 5/60 and aCL and LA in 3/60. No statistically significant difference was found between aPL negative and aPL positive patients in pre PTCA plasma levels of prothrombin activation fragment (F1 + 2) 1.4 nmol/l (0.3-5.71) vs 1.4 nmol/l (0.9-4.0), thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT) 4.0 μg/l (1.1-34.2) vs 5.2 μg/l (2.1-60.0), D-dimer (DD) 25 ng/ml (2-515) vs 44 ng/ml (2-160) or plasminogen activator inhibitor activity (PAI) 4.8 IU/ml (2.5-36.4) vs 4.4 IU/ml (2.5-13.4). Restenosis was observed in 13/60 patients (7/45-15% - aPL negative and 6/15-40% - aPL positive patients) who underwent angiographic tests after PTCA because of recurring angina or positive exercise test. Restenosis occurred after 2.2 months (0.5-3) in aPL positive patients and after 3.5 months (1-12.8) in aPL negative.