Cited by 1,318Systemic Lupus Erythematosus ResearchBlood Coagulation and Thrombosis MechanismsVenous Thromboembolism Diagnosis and Management

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 69 of the 72 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 27 of the 77 sources its claims cite were checked for support.

EULAR recommendations for the management of antiphospholipid syndrome in adults

Open access

Abstract

The objective was to develop evidence-based recommendations for the management of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) in adults. Based on evidence from a systematic literature review and expert opinion, overarching principles and recommendations were formulated and voted. High-risk antiphospholipid antibody (aPL) profile is associated with greater risk for thrombotic and obstetric APS. Risk modification includes screening for and management of cardiovascular and venous thrombosis risk factors, patient education about treatment adherence, and lifestyle counselling. Low-dose aspirin (LDA) is recommended for asymptomatic aPL carriers, patients with systemic lupus erythematosus without prior thrombotic or obstetric APS, and non-pregnant women with a history of obstetric APS only, all with high-risk aPL profiles. Patients with APS and first unprovoked venous thrombosis should receive long-term treatment with vitamin K antagonists (VKA) with a target international normalised ratio (INR) of 2–3. In patients with APS with first arterial thrombosis, treatment with VKA with INR 2–3 or INR 3–4 is recommended, considering the individual’s bleeding/thrombosis risk. Rivaroxaban should not be used in patients with APS with triple aPL positivity. For patients with recurrent arterial or venous thrombosis despite adequate treatment, addition of LDA, increase of INR target to 3–4 or switch to low molecular weight heparin may be considered. In women with prior obstetric APS, combination treatment with LDA and prophylactic dosage heparin during pregnancy is recommended. In patients with recurrent pregnancy complications, increase of heparin to therapeutic dose, addition of hydroxychloroquine or addition of low-dose prednisolone in the first trimester may be considered. These recommendations aim to guide treatment in adults with APS. High-quality evidence is limited, indicating a need for more research.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This paper presents EULAR evidence-based recommendations for managing antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) in adults, covering risk stratification, thromboprophylaxis, obstetric APS, and catastrophic APS. The recommendations are based on a systematic literature review and expert consensus, with limited high-quality evidence.

Key findings

  • High-risk antiphospholipid antibody (aPL) profiles—lupus anticoagulant, double/triple aPL positivity, or persistently high titres—are associated with greater thrombotic and obstetric risk. Low-dose aspirin (LDA) 75–100 mg daily is recommended for asymptomatic aPL carriers, patients with SLE without prior thrombotic or obstetric APS, and non-pregnant women with a history of obstetric APS only, all with high-risk aPL profiles. A meta-analysis of seven observational studies of 460 asymptomatic aPL carriers found first thrombosis risk reduced by half with LDA; in women with obstetric APS without SLE, pooled OR for first thrombosis with LDA was 0.25 (95% CI 0.10 to 0.62).
  • For definite APS and first unprovoked venous thrombosis, long-term vitamin K antagonists (VKA) with target INR 2–3 are recommended. For first arterial thrombosis, VKA with INR 2–3 or INR 3–4 is recommended, considering individual bleeding/thrombosis risk. Rivaroxaban should not be used in patients with triple aPL positivity due to excess thromboembolic events in the TRAPS trial. For recurrent arterial or venous thrombosis despite adequate treatment, addition of LDA, increase of INR target to 3–4, or switch to low molecular weight heparin may be considered.
  • In obstetric APS, women with prior obstetric APS should receive combination LDA and prophylactic-dose heparin during pregnancy. In recurrent pregnancy complications despite LDA and prophylactic heparin, increasing heparin to therapeutic dose, adding hydroxychloroquine, or adding low-dose prednisolone in the first trimester may be considered. In women with thrombotic APS, LDA plus therapeutic-dose heparin is recommended; observational studies reported live births in 79% of pregnancies on average. For catastrophic APS, combination glucocorticoids, heparin, and plasma exchange or IVIG is recommended first-line; rituximab or eculizumab may be considered for refractory cases.
  • The task force developed 3 overarching principles and 12 recommendations. The systematic literature review yielded 7534 articles plus 15 hand-searched articles; after title/abstract review, 670 articles underwent full-text review, 249 underwent data abstraction, 61 were excluded, and 188 were finally considered relevant.

Methods

  • The project followed the updated EULAR standardised operating procedure and used the AGREE II tool. The task force included members from 11 European countries: 12 specialists in rheumatology or internal medicine, 2 obstetricians, 2 physicians from vascular medicine/thrombosis centres, 1 healthcare professional, and 2 patient representatives. Thirty-one research questions were formulated using PICO and voted by Delphi method.
  • Data sources were PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library, searched for English-language articles from inception through 31 January 2018; one RCT published after this date (TRAPS) was included for safety results. Titles/abstracts were reviewed independently by two literature reviewers; full texts were reviewed independently by three persons. Data abstraction was performed by two reviewers and independently double-checked by the convenor and methodologist.
  • Evidence was tabulated with summary of findings tables and pooled estimates where applicable. Draft recommendations were prepared, reviewed, discussed in working groups, and voted at a second task force meeting on 3 September 2018. Levels of evidence and grades of recommendation used Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine standards; anonymous level of agreement was rated 0–10.

Limitations

  • The paper states that the main challenge was low certainty of evidence. Many studies included mixed clinical features and did not provide stratified data for arterial versus venous thrombosis or for different types of obstetric APS, resulting in indirect evidence for many treatment decisions. Meta-analyses also pooled heterogeneous patient groups, and RCTs commonly had high risk of bias and low power due to the rarity of the syndrome.
  • The paper states that a significant number of recommendations necessarily relied more, or only, on low-quality evidence or expert opinion. It also notes that cost and availability are not barriers to implementation except for IVIG and plasmapheresis, which were recommended first-line only in catastrophic APS, occurring in less than 1% of patients.
  • Evident from the text: several recommendations were based on expert opinion or lacked direct studies, including treatment duration after provoked first venous thrombosis, continuation of prophylactic heparin for 6 weeks postpartum, and management of recurrent pregnancy complications despite LDA and prophylactic heparin. Some supporting evidence came from small observational studies or case series.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1136/annrheumdis-2019-215213

Cites

69 of 69 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

17 Own method · 15 No full text of the sources · 5 Supported · 5 No basis given · 4 Mixed support · 3 Supported so far · 3 Partly supported · 3 Own interpretation · 2 Own result · 1 Not supported · 1 Couldn’t confirm · 1 Sources not found · accuracy not yet measured

Show all 40 claims

  • It may state two separate claims as one. 15
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 8
  • The quote only partly states this claim. 2
20 of 20
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    A higher level of anticoagulation is expected to carry a higher risk of bleeding.

    “However, although not based on data from these studies, higher level of anticoagulation would be anticipated to also have a higher risk of bleeding.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    For antiphospholipid syndrome patients with provoked first venous thrombosis, the anticoagulation duration recommended for patients without antiphospholipid syndrome is appropriate.

    “The panel recommended a duration of anticoagulation according to international guidelines for patients without APS30 because the benefit of long-term anticoagulation in this population is unclear.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Low-dose aspirin has a low risk of adverse events in asymptomatic antiphospholipid antibody carriers.

    “given the likelihood of benefit and low risk of adverse events of this intervention.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    High-risk aPL profile is associated with risk of obstetric and thrombotic complications during pregnancy.

    “The panel agreed that use of LDA should be considered in pregnant women with high-risk aPL profile due to the risk of obstetric and thrombotic complications during pregnancy associated with high-risk aPL profile.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Women with a history of clinical non-criteria obstetric APS have a potential higher risk for obstetric and/or thrombotic complications during pregnancy.

    “Because of a potential higher risk for obstetric and/or thrombotic complications during pregnancy in women with a history of clinical ‘non-criteria’ obstetric APS, the panel agreed that treatment with LDA alone or in combination with heparin might be considered, based on an individual’s risk profile (aPL profile, concomitant SLE, prior live births, and additional risk factors for pregnancy loss or”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    There is an increased risk of thrombosis at puerperium.

    “The panel suggested that in women receiving prophylactic dose heparin during pregnancy, the same dosage of heparin should be continued for 6 weeks after delivery due to an increased risk of thrombosis at puerperium.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The most common practice when LDA plus prophylactic heparin fails is to increase heparin dose to therapeutic dose.

    “The most common practice if the combination of LDA and prophylactic dose heparin fails is to increase the dose of heparin to therapeutic dose, although no supporting evidence exists.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Cost and availability of suggested treatments are not a barrier to implementation, except IVIG and plasmapheresis.

    “The cost and availability of suggested treatments are not a barrier to implementation of these recommendations, with the exception of IVIG and plasmapheresis.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    CAPS occurs in less than 1% of patients.

    “However, both treatments were recommended as first-line treatment only in CAPS which occurs in less than 1% of patients, while B cell depletion and complement inhibitors may be considered in refractory cases of CAPS.”
9 of 9

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

1 of 1

Citations

Cites

Show all 72 references

Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. OCEBM Levels of Evidence Working Group,. The Oxford levels of evidence 2: Oxford centre for evidence-based medicine. Available: http://www.cebm.net/index.aspx?o=5653.

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Items 1,101–1,200 of 1,254

Metadata

Authors
Tektonidou, M. G., Andreoli, L., Limper, M., Amoura, Z., Cervera, R., Costedoat-Chalumeau, N., Cuadrado, M. J., Dörner, T., Ferrer-Oliveras, R., Hambly, K., Khamashta, M. A., King, J., Marchiori, F., Meroni, P. L., Mosca, M., Pengo, V., Raio, L., Ruiz-Irastorza, G., Shoenfeld, Y., Stojanovich, L., Svenungsson, E., Wahl, D., Tincani, A., & Ward, M. M.
Affiliations
  • National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (GR)
  • University Medical Center Utrecht (NL)
  • Sorbonne Université (FR)
  • Hospital Clínic de Barcelona (ES)
  • Inserm (FR)
  • Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (DE)
  • University of Kent (GB)
  • Dubai Hospital (AE)
  • European League Against Rheumatism (CH)
  • IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano (IT)
  • University of Pisa (IT)
  • University of Padua (IT)
  • University Hospital of Bern (CH)
  • Tel Aviv University (IL)
  • University of Belgrade (RS)
  • Karolinska University Hospital (SE)
  • National Institutes of Health (US)
Venue
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2019-10
Volume
78
Issue
10
Pages
1296-1304
ISSN
0003-4967 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2946160313
Cited by
1,318
References
72
Citations by year
2026: 200 · 2025: 188 · 2024: 221 · 2023: 191 · 2022: 171 · 2021: 140 · 2020: 163 · 2019: 42
FWCI
87.37
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • CINECA IRIS Institutial research information system (University of Pisa) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • BORIS (University Library Bern) (submittedVersion)
  • Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Institutional Research Information System (Università degli Studi di Brescia) (submittedVersion)
  • Kent Academic Repository (University of Kent) (submittedVersion)
  • HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
Funders
European League Against Rheumatism
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Rheumatology › Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hematology › Blood Coagulation and Thrombosis Mechanisms
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Internal Medicine › Venous Thromboembolism Diagnosis and Management
Keywords
antiphospholipid syndrome, antiphospholipid antibodies, thrombosis, obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome, low-dose aspirin, vitamin K antagonists, rivaroxaban, low molecular weight heparin, recurrent thrombosis, pregnancy, systemic lupus erythematosus, hydroxychloroquine, prednisolone, thromboprophylaxis, cardiovascular risk
MeSH terms
Adult, Anticoagulants, Female, Humans, Male, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Rheumatology, Risk Factors, Antiphospholipid Syndrome, Antibodies, Antiphospholipid, Practice Guidelines as Topic, Venous Thrombosis

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

A language model drew the claims from the paper on 2026-10-08, under version 3 of the claim definition (model deepseek-v4.1-flash, prompt extract-v3).

A second model labelled each claim on 2026-10-08 (model jev-1.13-20260917, definition revision gold-guideline-v0.2).

Cited sources are checked with a language model’s help (gpt-6-sol).

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review