Long-Term Outcome of Children and Adolescents With Anti-Phospholipid Antibodies

Aim:

1. Determine the incidence, and time frame, for aquiring aPL in a cohort of aPL-negative pediatric SLE subjects.
2. Determine the incidence, and time frame, for developing a first APS-associated complication among SLE subjects with detectable aPL.
3. Determine the incidence, and time frame, for developing a second APS-associated event among subjects with a history of an APS-associated event.
4. Determine the incidence, and time frame, for developing SLE among subjects with a history of an APS-associated event in the absence of SLE.
5. Identify laboratory and clinical predictors for the events described in aims 1-4.Research Design and Methods:

This is a prospective cohort study to determine the risk of developing aPL or APS-related symptoms in a young group of SLE and APS subjects. Patients will be followed over a ten year period and will undergo annual serologic and clinical evaluations to identify disease progression.