Cardiolipin Antibody - IgG (1) Test

A cardiolipin antibodies test looks for a certain kind of antibody in your blood. The antibodies are IgG (immunoglobulin G), IgA (immunoglobulin A), and IgM (immunoglobulin M). The levels of these antibodies are often high in people with abnormal blood clotting, autoimmune diseases like lupus, or repeated miscarriages.

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by recurrent thrombosis and pregnancy morbidity in the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (APLA). APS is diagnosed when at least one requirement from both clinical and laboratory criteria are met. Clinical criteria include the following: Vascular thrombotic episodes in any tissue or organ Pregnancy loss Laboratory criteria include the following: Lupus anticoagulant (LA) present in serum Anticardiolipin (aCL) antibody of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and/or immunoglobulin M (IgM) isotype present in serum Anti–beta2 glycoprotein-I (b2-GPI) antibody of IgG and/or IgM isotype (in titer above the 99th percentile) in serum

No special preparation is needed for cardiolipin antibody IgG test. Inform your doctor if you are on any medications or have any underlying medical conditions or allergies before undergoing the test. Your doctor depending on your condition will give specific instructions.

Tests for cardiolipin antibodies are frequently used to help determine the cause
of:
An unexplained blood clot (thrombotic episode)
Recurrent miscarriages
A prolonged result on the coagulation (clotting test) PTT (partial
thromboplastin time).
If cardiolipin antibodies are detected on an initial test, then it is usually repeated
12 weeks later to help determine whether their presence is persistent or
temporary. If a person with a known autoimmune disorder tests negative for
cardiolipin antibodies, they may be retested later as these antibodies may
develop at any time in the future. The two most commonly tested are IgG and
IgM. However, if these tests are negative and clinical suspicions still exist, then
IgA cardiolipin antibody may be tested. Some other tests that may be performed
in conjunction with cardiolipin antibody tests include lupus anticoagulant testing
(e.g., DRVVT) and anti-beta- 2 glycoprotein 1 antibody.

Specifics for collection of anticardiolipin (aCL) antibody are as follows: Container: Red-top tube (serum) Specimen preparation: Transport minimum of 0.4 mL of serum to transport tube

Storage/transport temperature: Refrigerated at 2-8°C Unacceptable conditions: Plasma, grossly visible haemolysis and lipemia Stability (collection to initiation of testing [after separation from cells]): Refrigerated or frozen for 2-3 days Method: Enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA)