Diagnosing Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) and the presence of lupus anticoagulant (LA) requires clinical and laboratory evaluation. This complicated disorder can be impacted by preanalytical variables and reagents used in testing. APS is a heterogenous disorder requiring information from several tests. Guidelines have been developed to aid laboratories in best practices for testing and diagnosing a patient with this disorder.
The diagnosis of LA requires performance and interpretation of complex coagulation testing, as well as correlation with available clinical information, including evidence of persistence of LA over time (≥12 weeks). Understanding how LA functions in vivo and how it manifests in vitro can enhance the ability of the laboratory to diagnose and the clinician to treat patients that present with positive testing and clinical criteria.
