WHERE DO THE ANTIBODIES COME FROM?
In many cases, we don’t know. Some people make the APS antibodies for no apparent reason. These people have primary APS. More commonly, people with autoimmune disorders, especially lupus (SLE), people with certain cancers (such as lung and ovarian), infections (like AIDS and malaria) and those taking certain medications (like the birth control pill) make APS antibodies (Asherson, Piette and Cervera, 2002). These people have secondary APS. WHAT PROBLEMS DOES APS CAUSE? Most importantly, it causes an abnormal blood clot. A blood clot in medical terms is called a thrombosis (two or more blood clots are called thromboses). The most common clots are deep within the legs (deep venous thrombosis or DVT). The leg becomes swollen and painful in most cases. When a blood clot breaks loose and floats away to lodge elsewhere, it is called an embolus. Blood clots from a DVT can travel to the lungs and damage or kill parts of the lung. These are called pulmonary emboli. If the clot occurs in an arter
