Clinical Relevance

Cardiolipin belongs to the group of negatively charged Phospholipids. Antibodies to these  Phospholipids are described to be often-but not necessarily identical to the Lupus anticoagulants. The most commonly tested phospholipid is cardiolipin. The determination of Cardiolipin IgM antibodies is a valuable indicator in the diagnosis of begining autoimmune disease, whereas IgG antibodies will be found in progressive stages of manifested autoimmune disorders. IgG antibodies show a good correlation to the clinical status and is an important parameter with high specificity in theraphy monitoring. IgA antibodies are often associated with IgG antibodies.