See Also: type III hypersensitivity reaction(medicine)
Immediate-type hypersensitivity(health)
immediate hypersensitivity reaction(medicine)
hypersensitivity reaction(medicine)
tuberculin-type hypersensitivity(medicine)
delayed type hypersensitivity(medicine)
Delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH)(health)
arthus-type reaction's(medicine)
Herbal medicine (botanical medicine, herbology, phytomedicine)(health)
Hypersensitivity(medicine)

type III hypersensitivity reaction (medicine)


type III hypersensitivity reaction -->
immune complex disease


An immunologic category of diseases evoked by the deposition of antigen-antibody or antigen-antibody-complement complexes on cell surfaces, with subsequent involvement of breakdown products of complement, platelets, and polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and development of vasculitis; nephritis is common. Arthus phenomenon and serum sickness are classic examples, but many other disorders, including most of the connective tissue disease's, may belong in this immunologic category; immune complex disease's can also occur during a variety of disease's of known aetiology, such as subacute bacterial endocarditis.

See: autoimmune disease.

Synonym: immune complex disorder, type III hypersensitivity reaction.