Serum sickness is:: (A) Type 1 hypersensitivity reaction, (B) Type 2 hypersensitivity reaction, (C) Type 3 hypersensitivity reaction, (D) Type 4 hypersensitivity reaction
Answer is C. Ans: C. Type 3 hypersensitivity reaction(Ref: Robbins 9/e p207)Serum sickness is the prototype of a systemic immune complex disease or type III hypersensitivity reaction.Immune Complex--Mediated (Type III) Hypersensitivity:Acute serum sickness is the prototype of a systemic immune complex disease; it was once a frequent sequela to the administration of large amounts of foreign serum (e.g., serum from immunized horses used for protection against diphtheria).