Hepatitis B surface antigen deposition in the blood vessel walls of urticarial lesions in acute hepatitis B.
Urticaria is known to occur in the pre-icteric phase of acute viral hepatitis. Often such urticaria is a symptom of a serum sickness-like syndrome which can be a prodrome of viral hepatis. Immune complexes are thought to be pathogenetic in this condition. In this paper we present two patients with a serum sickness-like syndrome, urticaria and hepatitis B. By immunofluorescence techniques Hepatitis B surface antigen, CIq and C3 could be demonstrated in the blood vessels of the superficial dermis. These findings are consistent with the immune complex hypothesis.
D000328:Adult; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000276:immunology; D003172:Complement C1 / Q000032:analysis; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000032:analysis; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D014581:Urticaria / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
D003172:Complement C1; D003176:Complement C3; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens