When antibodies are on vacation, where do they go?

[TheKid]

So I was reading a post over at the Lupus Foundation of America website (lupus.org/webmodules/webart.... The article said the following:

"Like other autoantibodies in systemic lupus, antiphospholipid antibodies can come and go in an individual. There are many ways to measure these antibodies, and different methods may not always give the same result."

Is this really true and accurate? Do antibodies "come and go." And if so, where do they go when they aren't making trouble for all of us?

I would ask the same question about other antibodies, say, the ones we build up when we get a flu vaccination. Is is accurate to say they "GO" somewhere when they're not needed? Or are they always in circulation, but turned "OFF" for the time being? How does that work?

[paddyandlin]

Hi The kid

I copied this from the Hughes Syndrome Foundation I hope it answers your question

Are there different forms of Hughes Syndrome?

Clinically – yes. Some people have few clinical problems, while in others, the thrombosis problem is severe and recurrent. In yet others, the clinical problem appears confined to recurrent miscarriage with no history of further thrombosis.

What causes Hughes Syndrome?

The exact cause is unknown, but it is likely to be a combination of factors which, in general, contribute to the likelihood of having a thrombosis. These include smoking, immobility (related for instance to the thrombosis seen after long flights) and the contraceptive pill. There is a tendency for the disease to run in families and there may be a family history of clots, of miscarriages, or of other autoimmune diseases such as lupus and thyroid problems.

A person's genetic make-up and exposure to certain trigger factors may provide the right environment in which Hughes Syndrome can develop.

Occasionally the thrombosis occurs during an infection such as a sore throat. However, in the some people the thrombosis comes 'out of the blue' and past medical history (e.g. migraine, recurrent miscarriages) helps to make the diagnosis of Hughes Syndrome.