Serum sickness

Serum sickness
Classification and external resources
Specialty	emergency medicine
ICD-10	T80.6
ICD-9-CM	999.5
DiseasesDB	11970
MedlinePlus	000820
eMedicine	med/2105
MeSH	D012713
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Serum sickness in humans is a reaction to proteins in antiserum derived from a non-human animal source, occurring 4–10 days after exposure. 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, such as penicillin. It was first characterized by Clemens von Pirquet and Béla Schick in 1906.

When an 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 precipitate, enter the walls of blood vessels, and activate the complement cascade, initiating an inflammatory response and consuming much of the available complement component 3 (C3). The result is a leukocytoclastic vasculitis. This results in hypocomplementemia, a low C3 level in serum. They can also cause more reactions resulting in typical symptoms of serum sickness.

Serum sickness can be developed as a result of exposure to antibodies derived from animals. These sera or antitoxins are generally administered to prevent or treat an infection or envenomation.

Some of the drugs associated with serum sickness are:

Allergenic extracts, hormones and vaccines can also cause serum sickness.

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