Overview of the 8th meeting of the European Forum on antiphospholipid antibodies

Summary The 8 th Meeting of the European Forum on Antiphospholipid Antibodies was an important setting for timely, in-depth discussions concerning the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and it provided an opportunity for European investigators to exchange information with colleagues from the USA who have taken important steps forward in this field. The future governance of the European Forum was also clearly outlined by the forum coordinator. During the first part of the meeting, the physiopathology of thrombotic and obstetric APS as well as the possible implications of adjuvant vaccines in the pathogenesis of APS were assessed and discussed. The ongoing and future projects of the forum as well as laboratory and clinical aspects of APS were also addressed. The program included two guided poster sessions and 11 oral presentations. A surprisingly large number of participants (n ¼ 271) joined from 23 different European and extra-European countries and an unexpected number of young researchers participated for the ‘young investigator awards’. A lecture on the University of Padua Medical School over the centuries and its role in the development of modern medicine along with a singular social program including a guided tour of Giotto’s Scrovegni Chapel gave the meeting an exceptionally wellrounded program. The forum was an important setting for timely discussions concerning latest developments with regards to APS. It also provided European investigators with an opportunity to exchange information with colleagues from the USA who have recently taken important steps forward in this field. The first two sections of the issue, in