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Posted 12/3/2009 4:30 AM (GMT 0)
I have been searching the good 'ol world wide web, but cannot seem to find the answer that I'm looking for. I'm wondering if once a person has tested positive for a specific auto-antibody will it ever leave? Or are you permanently going to be producing it in your body? Or is is one of those things that goes into "sleep mode" if the you're on immobilizes it and then if it loses control over it (flare), it'll come back to...for example, if you have tested positive for the Anti-ssa you're always effected by photosensivity, just to varying degrees as the autoantibody is produced in greater or less quantity...can anyone shed any more light on this area for me?

-Ellie
Posted 12/3/2009 4:38 AM (GMT 0)
Not really sure on that one, but I do know that you can test ANA positive and then later test ANA 0. I'm waiting for someone with the answer!

Cheers,
Posted 12/3/2009 6:51 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Ellie,

My understanding is that AI diseases can go into remission, which means that your body would stop producing autoantibodies. But it's pretty complicated....for example, in celiac disease, the main autoantibodies (anti-tTG) are produced ONLY when someone with celiac ingests gluten; so if you're on a gluten free diet, you won't produce the autoantibodies. However, they've discovered that celiac apparently produces other types of autoantibodies which continue to attack bone (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12462335) and brain cells (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7496772) even when someone is on the gluten free diet.

So I think it depends on the particular AI disease and the particular autoantibody.

I've also read about research done on autoimmune thyroid diseases such as Hashimoto's and Graves disease which showed that a gluten free diet reduced the number of autoantibodies in the blood (but I don't know if they went away completely).

I don't know if this actually answers any of your questions....? :)

Take care,
JoAnn
Posted 12/3/2009 10:16 PM (GMT 0)
sort of answers the questions:) I kinda picture it like an autoantibody is put into your blood system, and then is it there permanently? but now I know that it's something that your body keeps producing...so I'm pretty much always producing the ANA antibody, and other ones I've tested positive for all the time?? (Obviously I'm still confused) I know that sometimes on my bloodwork for the same autoantibody that I was slightly positive for, I can now by mod positive, and then another time slightly positive...I guess I still feel WAY in the dark. It's just that I've had new autoantibodies added positive over the couple years I've been diagnosed, and I'm wondering if I'll ALWAYS have those autoantibodies now...tricky, heh? I'm hoping that other people know lots more than I do.

I am on a gluten free diet as of the last 6 months and it's seemed to help the way my overall body feels. I would like to think that it's doing more than just that. Thanks nasalady for the info that you did share with me.

-Ellie
Posted 12/3/2009 11:16 PM (GMT 0)
Ellie,

It is my understanding that autoanitbodies do go away when your disease is in remission.  Most of us with an AI disease will initially test positive and then go into remission.  I have not tested positive for any of the 3 diseases (lupus, scleroderma and polymyositis) that I have.  However, I still have symptoms of raynauds which often presents with lupus, scleroderma and PM.  None of my tests for the past 4 years have been positive.  That does not mean there might be other autoantibodies that are produced by my diseases but are not tested.

Bill

Posted 12/3/2009 11:39 PM (GMT 0)
in the years i spent in anatomy & physiology, one thing i did learn was that your blood goes through a process of "seroreversion" - meaning that your blood regenerates, creates new cells, etc. and therefore meaning that, every so often, your blood ends up "new" again. I have often wondered if this has anything to do with the remission cycles of chronic diseases - especially those where antibodies, etc. are involved. The seroreversion process is the reason why some children who are born with HIV can later be diagnosed as HIV free and why babies lose the immunities from their mothers shortly after they are born unless they are breastfed - it would only make sense that the same would apply to autoantibodies, etc. Possibly that if you test with a positive ANA or anti-SSA, etc., you can later test negative and then test positive again at a later date . . . if it is in your genes to produce the antibodies, I think you always will produce them, but the level that they occur may have much to do with the seroreversion process as well as multiple other influences - genetics, stress, diet, sun exposure, etc . . . dunno - just a thought :) i do believe that controlling the external factors that you are capable of controlling may help with remissions - but if it is in your DNA/physiology, I am not sure that you can ever hope to not produce the antibodies. but i am no doctor . . . just something you can throw at yours & watch his jaw drop when you throw a term like "seroreversion" at him :D
Posted 12/4/2009 2:17 AM (GMT 0)
*LOL* I like your answer Anne...throw the term seroreversion at my doctor and watch his/her jaw drop...I don't know if I'd have the nerve. I sure like thinking of it though. It'd be funny. I guess that sort of makes sense, what you've said Bill and Anne. So, once I've been shown to have the potential of producing antibodies of a certain type, that could always be something that's affecting me from time to time...or always, but depending on the degree of flares, and the length of time that I have them. Maybe if my meds are working, and other external factors as you said are helping my body to be in it's optimal state of health, then I won't be seeing them positive on the bloodwork.......so, if I'm testing positive for a number of autoantibodies right now, then my disease isn't in remission? I'm having a flare of sorts right now... just trying to piece thoughts together here. I do find it fascinating as, but complex. You are all definately giving me a new way of looking at this topic. I'd value as much input as I can get. Seems like all of us with lupus and/or other ai diseases could use to know this.

-Ellie
Posted 12/6/2009 7:09 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Ellie, I know that autoantibodies can wax and wane. I have MCTD and it is the only
Connective Tissue Disease that can be confirmed with one autoantibody, RNP. I have
tested positive on multiple occassions. The last time I was tested I was negative even when
I was flaring. It is very confusing. I am taking Methotrexate and that might have something
to do with it.

Robin
Posted 12/6/2009 5:18 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you Robin...That's very interesting to know..even weirder so that you could test negative when you're flaring. Logic (in my head that is) would say that the autoantibodies would be positive when you're flaring...hmmmm...Thanks for your take on it. I guess that's why they want you to get on the right med, so that it can control the production of the auto-A's. Hmmm....lots of thinking and pondering to do.
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