[haematologica] 2004;89:985-990

Anti-tissue factor pathway inhibitor activity in subjects with antiphospholipid syndrome is associated with increased thrombin generation The antiphospholipid syndrome (aPS) isa heterogeneous disorder characterizedby circulating antiphospholipid anti-bodies (aPL), with venous or arterial throm-bosis, recurrent miscarriages and thrombo-cytopenia.1 APL target phospholipid bound proteins, including β-2-glycoprotein-I (β2GPI) and prothrombin, with varying specificity.2 It has been proposed that aPL contribute directly to the clinical manifes-tations of aPS,2 though no single mecha-nism has been clearly identified. On the other hand, the heterogeneity of clinical manifestations of aPS probably reflect