1. Health

Antibody

From , former About.com Guide

Updated September 12, 2007

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Definition:

Acting as the body's army, antibodies are proteins generally found in the blood that detect and destroy invaders, like bacteria and viruses. Part of the immune system, antibodies come in different types, called isotypes. Mammals carry five isotypes. Each performs a different role in the body.

Lupus patients may have some autoantibodies -- those that attack the cells and tissues of the organism in which they were formed.

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