Chronic fatigue syndrome and/or fibromyalgia as a variation of antiphospholipid antibody syndrome: an explanatory model and approach to laboratory diagnosis

Chronic Fatigue and/or Fibromyalgia have long been diseases without definition. An explanatory model of coagulation activation has been demonstrated through use of the ISAC panel of five tests, including, Fibrinogen, Prothrombin Fragment 1+2, Thrombin/AntiThrombin Complexes, Soluble Fibrin Monomer, and Platelet Activation by flow cytometry. These tests show low level coagulation activation from immunoglobulins (Igs) as demonstrated by Anti-B(2)GPI antibodies, which allows classification of these diseases as a type of antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. The ISAC panel allows testing for diagnosis as well as monitoring for anticoagulation protocols in these patients. (C) 1999 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.