Page 1066 - Veterinary Immunology, 10th Edition

VetBooks.ir

FIG. 32.5 The mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of acute
serum sickness.

Serum Sickness

Many years ago, when the use of antisera for passive immunization
was in its infancy, it was observed that wounded soldiers who had

received a very large dose of equine anti-tetanus serum developed a
characteristic illness about 10 days later. This was called serum
sickness, and consisted of a generalized vasculitis with erythema,
edema, and urticaria of the skin; neutropenia; lymph node
enlargement; joint swelling; and proteinuria. The reaction was

usually of short duration and subsided within a few days. A similar
reaction can be produced experimentally in rabbits by
administration of a large intravenous dose of antigen. The

development of sickness coincides with the formation of large
amounts of immune complexes in the circulation (Fig. 32.6). The
experimental disease may be acute if it is caused by a single, large

1066