Arterial stenosis in antiphospholipid syndrome: Update on the unrevealed mechanisms of an endothelial disease

Abstract

First described in 1983, antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune condition characterized by the occurrence of recurrent arterial and/or venous thrombosis, and/or pregnancy morbidity, in the setting of persistent presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). While thrombosis is the most well-known pathogenic mechanism in this disorder, the relevance of some other mechanisms such as arterial stenosis is being increasingly recognized. Arterial stenosis has been first described in the renal arteries in patients with APS, however intracranial and coeliac arteries can also be involved with various and treatable clinical manifestations. The underlying pathophysiology of this stenotic arterial vasculopathy is not fully understood but some recent studies revealed new insights into the molecular mechanism behind this endothelial cell activation in APS. In this review, we discuss these newly discovered mechanisms and highlight the diagnostic and therapeutic modalities of the APS related arterial stenosis.

Keywords: Anticardiolipin antibody; Antiphospholipid antibodies; Coeliac arteries; Endothelial cell activation; Hypertension; Intra-cranial arteries; Lupus anticoagulant; Renal artery stenosis.