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serum sickness

 
Medical Encyclopedia: Serum Sickness
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Definition

Serum sickness is a type of delayed allergic response, appearing four to 10 days after exposure to some antibiotics or antiserum, the portion of serum that contains anti-bodies, such as gamma globulin, which may be given to provide immunization against some diseases.

Description

Serum sickness is very similar to an allergic reaction. The patient's immune system recognizes the proteins in the drug or antiserum as foreign proteins, and produces its own antibodies to protect against the foreign proteins. The newly formed antibodies bind with the foreign protein to form immune complexes. These immune complexes may enter the walls of blood vessels where they set off an inflammatory reaction.

While other types of allergic reactions may produce a rapid response, the serum sickness reaction is delayed because it takes time for the body to produce antibodies to the new protein.

— Sam Uretsky


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Dictionary: serum sickness
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n.
A hypersensitive reaction to the administration of a foreign serum, characterized by fever, swelling, skin rash, and enlargement of the lymph nodes.


Dental Dictionary: serum sickness
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n

Anaphylactoid or allergic reaction after injection of foreign serum; marked by urticarial rashes, edema, adenitis, arthralgia, high fever, and prostration.

 
Columbia Encyclopedia: serum sickness
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serum sickness, hypersensitive response that occurs after injection of a large amount of foreign protein. The condition is named for the serum taken from horses or other animals immunized against a particular disease, e.g., tetanus or diphtheria. Such serum, which contains antibodies against the disease toxins, was formerly widely used to temporarily immunize humans. However, the antibodies from the animal serum are also foreign proteins that can act as antigens when injected into humans. The recipient's body responds by producing, within 8 to 12 days, antibodies that react against the animal serum proteins; the reaction causes injury to blood vessel walls and such allergic symptoms as rash, itching, and swelling of the lymph nodes. Fever, joint pain, spleen enlargement, and even shock may occur (see allergy; hypersensitivity). The reaction subsides as continued production of antibodies removes foreign protein from circulation. A person who has once had a serum injection is sensitized to the serum antigens, and a second injection can bring on the acute reactions typical of anaphylaxis. Today, serum preparations are rarely used. Instead, inoculations of tetanus and diphtheria toxoids are given in childhood; they confer active immunity against those diseases. Serum sickness may occur in response to proteins other than those found in serum.

Wikipedia: Serum sickness
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Serum sickness
Classification and external resources
ICD-10 T80.6
ICD-9 999.5
DiseasesDB 11970
eMedicine med/2105
MeSH [1]

Serum sickness is a reaction to proteins in antiserum derived from an animal source. It is a type of hypersensitivity, specifically immune complex hypersensitivity (type III). The term serum sickness–like reaction (SSLR) is occasionally used to refer to similar illnesses that arise from the introduction of certain non-protein substances.[1] It was first characterized by Clemens von Pirquet and Béla Schick in 1906.[2]

Contents

Causes

Serum sickness can be developed as a result of exposure to antibodies derived from animals. These serums are generally administered in order to prevent or treat an infection or envenomation. When the antiserum is given, the human immune system can mistake the proteins present for harmful antigens. The body produces antibodies, which combine with these proteins to form immune complexes. These complexes can cause more reactions, and cause the symptoms detailed below. Serum sickness can also be caused by several drugs, notably penicillin based medicines. This results in hypocomplementemia, a low C3 level in serum.

Symptoms

Symptoms can take as long as fourteen days after exposure to appear, and may include signs and symptoms commonly associated with allergic reactions or infections, such as rashes, itching, joint pain (arthralgia), fever, and swollen lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy). Other signs include decreased blood pressure (hypotension) or even shock and an enlarged spleen, glomerulonephritis and proteinuria. While it may mimic an allergic reaction, it is different from true anaphylaxis, since the symptoms are not instantaneous.

Treatment

Symptoms will generally disappear on their own, although corticosteroids may be prescribed in the most severe forms. Antihistamine may also be used.

Use of plasmapheresis has also been described.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ Brucculeri M, Charlton M, Serur D (2006). "Serum sickness-like reaction associated with cefazolin". BMC Clin Pharmacol 6: 3. doi:10.1186/1472-6904-6-3. PMID 16504095. PMC: 1397863. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6904/6/3. 
  2. ^ Jackson R (October 2000). "Serum sickness". J Cutan Med Surg 4 (4): 223–5. PMID 11231202. 
  3. ^ Lundquist AL, Chari RS, Wood JH, et al. (May 2007). "Serum sickness following rabbit antithymocyte-globulin induction in a liver transplant recipient: case report and literature review". Liver Transpl. 13 (5): 647–50. doi:10.1002/lt.21098. PMID 17377915. 
v • d • e
Consequences of external causes (T66-T88, 990-999)
Temperature/radiation
Air
Food
Maltreatment
Emesis
Other
Certain early complications of trauma
Complications of surgical and medical care
v • d • e
Immune disorders: hypersensitivity and autoimmune diseases
Type I/allergy/atopy
(IgE)
Foreign
Autoimmune
none
Type II/ADCC
(IgM, IgG)
Foreign
Autoimmune
Type III
(Immune complex)
Foreign
Autoimmune
Type IV/cell-mediated
(T-cells)
Foreign
Autoimmune
Unknown/
multiple
Foreign
Autoimmune
lymphocyte navs: cells/physio, immunodeficiency/immunoproliferative immunoglobulin/neoplasia, proc

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Dental Dictionary. Mosby's Dental Dictionary. Copyright © 2004 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Serum sickness".  Read more