A flow cytometric assay for the detection of antiphospholipid antibodies.

The data and the results obtained at the above symposium show that the flow cytometric method closely correlates with the standardized aCL bench ELISA and with the APhL ELISA kit. The aCL/aPS FACS kit is comparable in sensitivity to the APhL ELISA kit and standard aCL bench ELISA, but the aCL/aPS FACS kit is more specific than the standard anticardiolipin assay (particularly for the determination of aPS). In summary, the aCL/aPS FACS kit enables rapid (total run time < or = 1 hr) and simultaneous determination of aCL (aCL) and anti-PS antibodies of the IgG and IgM classes and combines good sensitivity and specificity in a single assay. The method is reproducible (intraassay variations < 5%). Furthermore, it is easy to transform into a partially or fully mechanized process and is well suited for laboratories that test large numbers of samples daily. The assay promises to be useful not only for detecting positive APS sera, but also in evaluating the significance of phospholipid specificity and antibody isotypes in patients with APS.