This new edition is a comprehensive and updated resource on antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), which is an autoimmune disorder. In APS, the body recognizes certain normal components of blood and/or cell membranes as foreign substances and produces antibodies (antiphospholipid antibodies) against them. APS is associated with recurrent clotting events (thrombosis) including premature stroke, repeated miscarriages, phlebitis, venous thrombosis, and pulmonary thromboembolism. It is also associated with low platelet or blood elements that prevent bleeding. Recently, however, even more disease states have been linked with APS, including premature heart attack, various cardiac valvular abnormalities, skin lesions, kidney disease, abnormal involuntary movement/chorea, diseases that mimic multiple sclerosis, and vascular diseases of the eye that can lead to visual loss and blindness. The International Congress on Antiphospholipid Antibodies, held every 3 years, is the venue where representatives from different disciplines gather to discuss the recent advances in APS. The conference intends to cover basic aspects of APS, such as pathogenesis, origins, genetics, intracellular and molecular events, the role of infections, as well as traditional and non-traditional clinical manifestations associated with antiphospholipid antibodies. The 15th Congress took place in September 2016. A novel aspect of the Congress was that multiple teams, chaired by Scientific Planning Committee members, used evidence-based literature reviews and expert discussions to answer specific pre-defined APS-related questions. These teams included points of view from experts in rheumatology, hematology, cardiovascular medicine, obstetrics, neurology, and immunology. The Scientific Planning Committee members also chaired the congress sessions and supervised completion of the reports that are the bases of the chapters of this book. In addition, there are two chapters included specifically written for APS patients. Much like the previous volume, dedicated to the 13th International Congress on Antiphospholipid Antibodies (April 2010), this up-to-date and comprehensive work gathers invaluable insights from a multidisciplinary team of world-renowned experts and represents the authoritative resource on causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of APS.
這個新版本是有關抗磷脂綜合症（APS）的全面且更新的資源，這是一種自體免疫疾病。在APS中，身體將某些正常的血液和/或細胞膜成分視為外來物質，並產生針對它們的抗體（抗磷脂抗體）。APS與反覆發生的血栓事件（血栓形成）有關，包括早發性中風、重複流產、靜脈炎、靜脈血栓形成和肺血栓栓塞。它也與低血小板或防止出血的血液成分有關。然而，最近有更多的疾病狀態與APS相關，包括早發性心臟病發作、各種心臟瓣膜異常、皮膚病變、腎病、異常不自主運動/舞蹈症、模擬多發性硬化症的疾病，以及可能導致視力喪失和失明的眼部血管疾病。每三年舉行一次的國際抗磷脂抗體大會是來自不同學科的代表聚集討論APS最新進展的場所。會議旨在涵蓋APS的基本方面，如發病機制、起源、遺傳學、細胞內和分子事件、感染的角色，以及與抗磷脂抗體相關的傳統和非傳統臨床表現。第15屆大會於2016年9月舉行。這次大會的一個新穎之處是由科學規劃委員會成員主持的多個團隊，利用基於證據的文獻回顧和專家討論來回答特定的預定APS相關問題。這些團隊包括來自風濕病學、血液學、心血管醫學、婦產科、神經學和免疫學的專家觀點。科學規劃委員會成員還主持了大會的會議並監督報告的完成，這些報告是本書各章的基礎。此外，還有兩章專門為APS患者撰寫。與之前專門針對第13屆國際抗磷脂抗體大會（2010年4月）的卷冊類似，這部最新且全面的作品匯集了來自世界知名專家的多學科團隊的寶貴見解，並代表了有關APS的原因、症狀、診斷和治療的權威資源。
Doruk Erkan, MD, MPH, Associate Attending Physician, Associate Professor of Medicine, Department of Rheumatology, Hospital for Special Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA, Michael D. Lockshin, MD, Attending Physician, Professor of Medicine and Obstetrics-Gynecology, Department of Rheumatology, Hospital for Special Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
Doruk Erkan, 醫學博士 (MD)、公共衛生碩士 (MPH)，副主治醫師，醫學副教授，風濕病學系，特別外科醫院，威爾康奈爾醫學院，美國紐約；Michael D. Lockshin, 醫學博士 (MD)，主治醫師，醫學及婦產科教授，風濕病學系，特別外科醫院，威爾康奈爾醫學院，美國紐約。
