Background : Antiphospholipid antibodies (APA) response development and regulation is still unclear, therefore APA clinical role or association is still on debate. In our previous study the difference in APA specificity and cofactor-dependency in patients with autoimmune and non autoimmune diseases was shown. In this investigation we studied APA-antiidiotypic antibodies (Abs) network in chronic viral hepatitis B, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Material and methods : Sera of 32 patients with SLE, 30 with chronic viral hepatitis B, 142 women undergoing IVF and 82 healthy individuals were inspected for APA and anti-idiotypic antiphospholipid antibodies (AiAPA). Anti-idiotypic antiphospholipid antibodies were examined by two different methods: 1) direct binding AiAPA in ELISA with mouse monoclonal cofactor-independent APA (mAPA); 2) antiidiotypic neutralization of monoclonal APA reaction with phospholipids; antiphospholipid antibodies positive women undergoing IVF were treated by low dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IvIg), their serum was tested for APA and AiAPA levels before and 5 day after treatment.
Results: In APA+ women undergoing IVF the mean level of AiAPA was significant lower than in APA- women in the same group (p < 0.05). Intravenous immunoglobulin (IvIg) infusion authentically reduced antiphospholipid antibodies as well as raised AiAPA levels in APA+ women undergoing IVF.
Conclusion : Result of this research confirmed a natural AiAPA participation in regulation of production cofactor-independent APA.