Serum sickness is a systemic hypersensitivity reaction that occurs after the administration of foreign proteins. What is the initiating event?
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Correct answer: Formation of circulating immune complexes
Serum sickness is a systemic Type III hypersensitivity reaction. It occurs when large amounts of foreign antigen lead to the formation of immune complexes that exceed the body's clearance capacity, depositing in various tissues and activating complement.
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More Hypersensitivity Reactions questions
- Which of the following is a classic example of Type IV hypersensitivity mediated by CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs)?
- What is the role of the 'early phase' in Type I hypersensitivity?
- Fibrinoid necrosis in small blood vessels is a histological hallmark of which hypersensitivity reaction?
- Which cytokine is essential for the 'isotype switching' of B-cells to IgE in Type I hypersensitivity?
- The 'lumpy-bumpy' or granular pattern of immunofluorescence in Post-Streptococcal Glomerulonephritis indicates:
- Which of the following clinical scenarios involves a 'hapten' mechanism causing Type IV hypersensitivity?