Can the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) seen in SLE go into remission?
It appears that APS, a blood-clotting disorder that affects one-third of those with SLE, can go into remission, but, unfortunately, there is no specific test to determine that it has actually truly remitted at any given time. Antiphospholipid antibodies and lupus anticoagulants are accepted blood tests in the diagnosis of APS, but other antibodies are known to be associated with the syndrome. For some of these other antibodies, testing is not yet available. Also, these antibodies can go away and then come back again in some people. Once a person is clearly diagnosed with APS, the current recommendation is to assume that preventive treatment is required indefinitely. This poses a serious problem for patients and their doctors, since long-term blood thinners have significant side effects, and there is no way to know, in individual cases, if this ongoing treatment is really necessary. Still, as it stands today, the risks of not using anticoagulation therapy outweigh the risks of using it.
