More clinical labs are testing for and interpreting the results for antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), a systemic autoimmune disorder that causes venous, arterial, or small vessel thrombosis and pregnancy morbidities. However, this type of testing can be challenging, and interpreting the results can also be difficult. An upcoming AACC webinar aims to bring some clarity to this issue for laboratorians interested in learning more about APS. “Progress and Challenges in Antiphospholipid Antibody Testing” is part of the 2014 Clinical Chemistry Series of webinars and will be held from 2 p.m.-3 p.m. on November 11.
The program, led by Gabriella Lakos, MD, PhD, will focus on classification criteria for APS, efforts to harmonize APS testing, and clinical situations in which APS should be considered. It will also discuss laboratory tests used to evaluate patients for APS, with a focus on immunoassays, and it will explain the unique challenges of APS testing and what should be kept in mind when interpreting the results of such testing. Additionally, new concepts will be described, including APS antibody profiling and risk stratification.
Lakos serves as medical director and director of research at INOVA Diagnostics in San Diego, and she is chair-elect of AACC’s Clinical and Diagnostic Immunology Division. The author of more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, Lakos has a particular research interest in antiphospholipid syndrome and antiphospholipid antibodies, autoantibody standardization, and new technologies.
Register for “Progress and Challenges in Antiphospholipid Antibody Testing.”