The antibody level in the blood is a reflection of the body's past
experience or exposure to an antigen, or something that the body
does not recognize as self. Every living cell has different protein
markers on its surface called antigens, and the body's immune
system identifies those cells that are not part of its structure by
those surface proteins.
Review Date: 05/16/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of
General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington
School of Medicine; and Stuart I. Henochowicz, MD, FACP, Associate
Clinical Professor of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Immunology,
and Rheumatology, Georgetown University Medical School. Also
reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
