During a consensus meeting in Japan, 1998, a group of physicians designed criteria to qualify patients for APS research. Named for the city in which the doctors were meeting, the Sapporo Criteria has been updated in another APS meeting in Sydney, Australia, 2004. A patient must meet both clinical and laboratory criteria to be considered as an APS patient for the purpose of research.

Clinical criteria include blood clots of the arteries, veins or small vessels found in any tissue or organ. This means heart attack, stroke, pulmonary emboli, deep vein thrombosis, and many more. This can also mean miscarriages with no other explanation. Laboratory criteria include one or more positive aPL tests (anticardiolipin antibody, anti-beta-2-glycoprotein-I antibody, and/or lupus anticoagulant test). It is important to note that blood test must show positive results two or more times and must be done 12 weeks or more apart. If you meet ONE clinical criteria and ONE of the laboratory criteria, you have probably received an APS diagnosis.

Updated Saporro APS Classification Criteria

Clinical Criteria

• One or more blood clot of the arteries, veins or small vessels found in any tissue or organ OR
• Miscarriages under specific circumstances

Laboratory Criteria

• Positive Anticardiolipin OR
• Positive Anti-Beta-2-Glycoprotein-I
• Positive Lupus Anticoagulant Test

*Tests must show positive results two or more times and must be done 12 weeks or more apart.

For most, the road to an APS diagnosis is long. The answer is general found as a result of a major event such as a stroke, heart attack, or pulmonary embolism.