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.