serum sickness

serum sickness
serum sickness n an allergic reaction to the injection of foreign serum manifested by hives, swelling, eruption, arthritis, and fever called also serum disease

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a reaction that sometimes occurs 7-12 days after injection of a quantity of foreign antigen and is characterized by the deposition of large immune complexes. Since the complexes are deposited in the arteries, kidneys, and joints, the symptoms are those of vasculitis, nephritis, and arthritis.

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a hypersensitivity reaction to the administration of foreign serum or serum proteins characterized by fever, urticaria, arthralgia, edema, and lymphadenopathy. It is caused by the formation of circulating antigen-antibody complexes that are deposited in tissues and trigger tissue injury mediated by complement and polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Serum sickness is classed with the Arthus reaction and other immune complex diseases as a type III hypersensitivity reaction (Gell and Coombs classification). Although serum sickness is now rare because of the replacement of most animal-derived antisera with human immune globulins, an identical illness (serum sickness–like reaction or syndrome) can be produced by hypersensitivity reactions to penicillin and other drugs.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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  • Serum sickness — Infobox Disease Name = Serum sickness Caption = DiseasesDB = 11970 ICD10 = ICD10|T|80|6|t|80 ICD9 = ICD9|999.5 ICDO = OMIM = MedlinePlus = eMedicineSubj = med eMedicineTopic = 2105 MeshID = D012713 Serum sickness is a reaction to proteins in… …   Wikipedia

  • serum sickness — Pathol. a generalized allergic reaction to a foreign serum or drug, characterized by fever, skin rash, enlarged lymph nodes, and painful joints. Also called serum disease. [1910 15] * * * ▪ allergic reaction       an allergic (immune system… …   Universalium

  • serum sickness — noun a delayed allergic reaction to the injection of an antiserum caused by an antibody reaction to an antigen in the donor serum • Syn: ↑serum disease • Hypernyms: ↑allergy, ↑allergic reaction …   Useful english dictionary

  • serum sickness — noun Date: circa 1913 an allergic reaction to the injection of foreign serum manifested by hives, swelling, eruption, arthritis, and fever …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • serum sickness — A hypersensitivity response (Type III) to the injection of large amounts of antigen, as might happen when large amounts of antiserum are given in a passive immunization. The effects are caused by the presence of soluble immune complexes in the… …   Dictionary of molecular biology

  • serum sickness — noun An allergylike reaction to proteins in antiserum derived from animal sources …   Wiktionary

  • serum sickness — a reaction that sometimes occurs 7–12 days after injection of a quantity of foreign antigen and is characterized by the deposition of large immune complexes. Since the complexes are deposited in the arteries, kidneys, and joints, the symptoms are …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • serum sickness — /ˈsɪərəm sɪknəs/ (say searruhm siknuhs) noun a hypersensitive reaction to proteins in an antiserum derived from a non human animal source …  

  • serum disease — n SERUM SICKNESS * * * see under sickness …   Medical dictionary

  • serum neuropathy — serum sickness neuropathy a neurologic disorder, usually involving the cervical nerves or brachial plexus, occurring two to eight days after the injection of foreign protein, such as an antiserum or antitoxin of animal origin, characterized by… …   Medical dictionary

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