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Allergy to Hematophagous Arthropod Bites

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Abstract

Allergies to hematophagous arthropod bites are inflammatory reactivity to arthropod salivary components. They vary in intensity and quality dependent upon the arthropod specie and the individual immune response to specific proteins of the insect’s saliva. Individuals who were not previously exposed show mild localized reactions not beyond those expected by pharmacological substances present in arthropods’ saliva. Allergic reactions are immunological in their nature and the diversity derived from hypersensitivity reactions with different levels of participation of the immune system components. Some are mainly derived from a humoral immune response, and others are based predominantly on T-lymphocyte-mediated hypersensitivities. The majority of these undesired biological answers are self-limited, and few may cause a systemic reaction. This article intends to discuss the immunological ingredients of this evolutionary interaction.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Tony and Blazenka Matic for their assistance and review.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, UNESP Medical School, Campus Universitário de Rubião Jr, Botucatu, SP, Brazil

    Hélio Amante Miot

  2. Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada, L8S4L8

    Hermenio C. Lima

Authors
  1. Hélio Amante Miot
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  2. Hermenio C. Lima
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Correspondence to Hélio Amante Miot .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology Immunology and Parasitology Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil

    Carlos Brisola Marcondes

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Miot, H.A., Lima, H.C. (2017). Allergy to Hematophagous Arthropod Bites. In: Marcondes, C. (eds) Arthropod Borne Diseases. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13884-8_36

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13884-8_36

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-13883-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-13884-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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