Autoantibodies against the fibrinolytic receptor, annexin A2, in cerebral venous thrombosis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) may be a manifestation of underlying autoimmune disease. Antibodies against annexin A2 (anti-A2Ab) coincide with antiphospholipid syndrome, in which antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLA) are associated with thrombosis in any vascular bed. Annexin A2, a profibrinolytic receptor and binding site for β2-glycoprotein-I, the main target for aPLA, is highly expressed on cerebral endothelium. Here we evaluate the prevalence of anti-A2Ab in CVT.

METHODS: Forty individuals with objectively documented CVT (33 women and 7 men) and 145 healthy controls were prospectively studied for hereditary and acquired prothrombotic risk factors, classical aPLA, and anti-A2Ab.

RESULTS: One or more prothrombotic risk factors were found in 85% of CVT subjects, (pregnancy/puerperium in 57.5%, classical aPLA in 22.5%, and hereditary procoagulant risk factors in 17.5%). Anti-A2Ab (titer >3 SD) were significantly more prevalent in patients with CVT (12.5%) than in healthy individuals (2.1%, P<0.01, OR, 5.9).

CONCLUSIONS: Anti-A2Ab are significantly associated with CVT and may define a subset of individuals with immune-mediated cerebral thrombosis.