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Analgesics called Cox-2 inhibitors can not only damage the heart and blood vessels but may also suppress the immune system. A study published this week in the Journal of Immunology shows the drugs, used by arthritis sufferers, might affect the antibodies that attack invading germs. This is not necessarily a bad thing; there are situations where one may want to reduce antibody production -- for example in people with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.