Part of the book: Contact Dermatitis
Part of the book: Otolaryngology
Part of the book: Otolaryngology
The “complement system” is one of the effector pathways of the immune system against microorganisms and tumor cells. The complement system can be activated through three major pathways: classical, lectin, and alternative. The sequential activation through the generation of complex enzymes from inactive zymogens produces a cascade in which a capable enzyme generates a large number of active downstream molecules.
Part of the book: Urticaria and Angioedema
The origins of the discovery of the “Complement System” date from the second half of the nineteenth century. The official paternity of the Complement System is attributed to Jules Bordet. The complement system can be activated through three major pathways. The classical pathway, the alternative pathway, and the lectin pathway converge in a common final lytic pathway. Hereditary angioedema (HAE) due to C1-inhibitor (C1-INH) deficiency (C1-INH-HAE) was first described by Robert Graves in his clinical lectures. The autosomal dominant pattern of HAE was recognized by Sir William Osler. The pathophysiologic basis of C1-INH-HAE as a deficiency of a plasma inhibitor was discovered in the early 1960s. In 1986, the C1NH gene was identified, which encodes the C1-INH protein. Although the possible relationship between angioedema and estrogens in women was described as early as 1986, it was not until the first decade of the twenty-first century when several series of patients with HAE were described with normal levels of the fractions of the complement system. In the last decade, several drugs have been approved and marketed in Europe, in the United States, and in other countries, contributing to the improved management of C1-INH-HAE and patient’s quality of life.
Part of the book: Urticaria and Angioedema
Oestrogens, trauma, infections or stress has been described as triggers for angioedema (AE) attacks in patients with hereditary angioedema due to C1-inhibitor deficiency (C1-INH-HAE). Microtrauma can precipitate the onset of acute AE attacks, and thus, dental-oral procedures carry a high risk of triggering them and also an increased risk of death from asphyxiation due to the AE location. In the past, without proper specific treatment, the overall mortality after dental surgery in patients with C1-INH-HAE was up to 30–40%. Some dental-oral, medical and/or surgical procedures are susceptible to receive “short-term prophylaxis” (STP) in order to reduce the risk of AE. We describe the published case reports of dental-oral, maxillofacial and ear, nose and throat (ENT) procedures in patients with C1-INH-HAE. Different consensus algorithms and clinical guidelines have been published for managing dental-oral, maxillofacial and otolaryngological procedures (DOMFOPs) and will be reviewed below. Based on the clinical experience of the Department of Allergology of the University Hospital La Paz (Madrid) and the University General Hospital Nuestra Señora del Prado (Talavera de la Reina), these algorithms have been updated and modified. We advise to classify procedures according to the risk of producing AE as minor, intermediate and major risks.
Part of the book: Urticaria and Angioedema