What is the Difference Between Factor V Leiden and Antiphospholipid Syndrome

The key difference between factor V Leiden and antiphospholipid syndrome is that factor V Leiden is a condition in which a mutation of one of the clotting factors in the blood increases the chance of developing abnormal clots in arteries and veins, while antiphospholipid syndrome is a condition in which immune system mistakenly produces antibodies that attack tissues in the body and causes blood clots to form in arteries and veins.

Blood clotting is a healthy and lifesaving process that stops bleeding. But blood clots can also form when they are not needed, resulting in a heart attack, stroke, or other serious medical problems. The conditions and factors associated with abnormal blood clotting include factor V Leiden, antiphospholipid syndrome, arteriosclerosis, oral contraceptives, home therapy drugs, COVID-19, deep vein thrombosis, heart arrhythmia, and smoking. Factor V Leiden and antiphospholipid syndrome are two types of abnormal blood clotting conditions.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Factor V Leiden 
3. What is Antiphospholipid Syndrome
4. Similarities – Factor V Leiden and Antiphospholipid Syndrome
5. Factor V Leiden vs Antiphospholipid Syndrome in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Factor V Leiden vs Antiphospholipid Syndrome

What is Factor V Leiden?

Factor V Leiden is a condition in which a mutation of a clotting factor in the blood increases the chance of developing abnormal clots. Most commonly, these abnormal blood clots develop in the legs and lungs. However, many a time, people with this disease never develop abnormal blood clots. Factor V Leiden is also known as hereditary hypercoagulability. This disease is named after the Dutch city of Leiden, where it was first identified by Rogier Maria Bertina in 1994.

The signs and symptoms of this condition include a clot in the deep veins of the legs that causes pain, swelling, redness and warmth, a clot in the lungs that causes shortness of breath, chest pain while breathing, cough that produces bloody streaked sputum, and rapid heartbeat. This disease is caused due to a single point mutation in the factor V gene, which leads to the replacing arginine with glutamine at amino acid 506. This mutation enhances the procoagulant role of factor Va and reduces the anticoagulant role of factor V.

Moreover, factor V Leiden disorder can be diagnosed through blood tests and genetic tests. Furthermore, treatment options for this condition include anticoagulants (blood thinners) that prevent abnormal clotting.

What is Antiphospholipid Syndrome?

Antiphospholipid syndrome is a condition in which the immune system mistakenly produces antibodies that attack tissues in the body. These antibodies can also cause clots to form in arteries and veins. The signs and symptoms of antiphospholipid syndrome may include blood clots in the legs that causes pain, swelling, redness, blood clots in the lungs that causes breathing difficulties, repeated miscarriages or stillbirths, stroke, transient ischemic attack, rash, neurological symptoms like chronic headaches, migraines, dementia, seizures, cardiovascular disease, and low blood platelet counts. Moreover, antiphospholipid syndrome is caused by an underlying condition such as an autoimmune disorder or can also be developed without an underlying cause.

Antiphospholipid syndrome is diagnosed through physical examination and blood tests. Furthermore, antiphospholipid syndrome is treated through blood thinners such as heparin, warfarin, aspirin, and other drugs such as hydroxychloroquine, rituximab and statins, immunosuppressants, lifestyle and home remedies such as avoiding contact sports and other activities that are likely to cause bruising and injury, using a soft toothbrush and waxed floss, shaving using an electric razor, taking extra care when using knives, scissors, and sharp tools and avoiding estrogen therapy for contraception or menopause.

What are the Similarities Between Factor V Leiden and Antiphospholipid Syndrome?

• Factor V Leiden and antiphospholipid syndrome are two types of abnormal blood clotting conditions.
• In both conditions, abnormal blood clots mainly develop in the legs and lungs.
• Both conditions can cause similar symptoms, like a clot in the deep vein of the legs that causes pain, swelling, redness and warmth and a clot in the lungs that causes breathing difficulties.
• Both conditions can be diagnosed through blood tests.
• They are primarily treated through blood thinners.

What is the Difference Between Factor V Leiden and Antiphospholipid Syndrome?

Factor V Leiden is a condition in which a mutation of a clotting factor in the blood increases the chance of developing abnormal clots in arteries and veins, while antiphospholipid syndrome is a condition where the immune system mistakenly produces antibodies that attack tissues in the body and causes blood clots to form in arteries and veins. Thus, this is the key difference between factor V Leiden and antiphospholipid syndrome.

The below infographic presents the differences between factor V Leiden and antiphospholipid syndrome in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Factor V Leiden vs Antiphospholipid Syndrome

Abnormal clotting can cause a heart attack, stroke, or other serious medical problems. Factor V Leiden and antiphospholipid syndrome are two types of abnormal blood clotting conditions. Factor V Leiden is a condition in which a mutation of a clotting factor in the blood increases the chance of developing abnormal clots in arteries and veins, while antiphospholipid syndrome is a condition where the immune system mistakenly produces antibodies that attack tissues in the body and causes blood clots to form in arteries and veins. So, this is the key difference between factor V Leiden and antiphospholipid syndrome.

Reference:

1. “Factor v Leiden: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic.
2. “Antiphospholipid Syndrome.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Signs and symptoms of Antiphospholipid syndrome” By Scientific Animations Inc. – (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Splenic infarction” By Lihi Atzmony, Nili Saar, Tamar Chundadze, Yaron Arbel, Dan Justo and Noa Mashav. – Cytomegalovirus-associated splenic infarcts in a female patient with Factor V Leiden mutation: a case report. Journal of Medical Case Reports 2008, 2:385. doi:10.1186/1752-1947-2-385 (CC BY 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia