Can Complement Activation Be the Missing Link in Antiphospholipid Syndrome?

Overview

Journal Rheumatology (Oxford)

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Rheumatology

Date 2024 Mar 14

PMID 38483257

Authors

Veronica Venturelli

Beatrice Maranini

Ibrahim Tohidi-Esfahani

David A Isenberg

Hannah Cohen

Maria Efthymiou

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

APS is an autoimmune disorder with life-threatening complications that, despite therapeutic advantages, remains associated with thrombotic recurrences and treatment failure. The role of complement activation in APS pathogenesis is increasingly recognized, specifically in obstetric APS. However, its exact role in thrombotic APS and on the severity of the disease is not yet fully elucidated. Further mechanistic studies are needed to delineate the role of complement activation in the various APS clinical manifestations with aim to identify novel markers of disease severity, together with clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of complement inhibition in APS. This could ultimately improve risk stratification in APS, patient-tailored targeted therapy with complement inhibition identified as an adjunctive treatment. This article reviews current findings and challenges about complement activation in APS, discusses the potential role of platelet-mediated complement activation in this setting and provides an overview of clinical implications and current therapeutics.

Citing Articles

Statins as an Adjunctive Antithrombotic Agent in Thrombotic Antiphospholipid Syndrome: Mechanisms and Clinical Implications.

Bucci T, Menichelli D, Palumbo I, Pastori D, Ames P, Lip G Cells. 2025; 14(5).

PMID: 40072082 PMC: 11899080. DOI: 10.3390/cells14050353.

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