An ABC of the Warning Signs of Hereditary Angioedema.

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) with C1 inhibitor deficiency is a genetic disorder that clinically manifests with attacks of angioedema in the subcutaneous and submucosal tissues, mainly in the extremities, abdomen, and upper airway. During attacks, vascular permeability is increased due to increased bradykinin (BK). This means that special therapies are needed for attacks that do not respond to traditional antiallergic therapies involving antihistamines, corticosteroids, and epinephrine.

[Colombian Guidelines of clinical practice for the use of immunoglobulins in the treatment of replacement and immunomodulation].

Immunoglobulins are heterodimeric proteins composed of 2 heavy chains and 2 light chains. Human immunoglobulin G (IgG) is a plasma derivative and contains more than 95% of IgG. The composition of IgG subclasses is similar to that of normal human plasma.

[Phenotypic diagnosis of primary immunodeficiencies in Antioquia, Colombia, 1994-2002].

Recurrent infections are a frequent cause of medical visits. They can be due to a heterogeneous group of dysfunctions that increase the susceptibility to pathogenic and opportunistic microorganisms, such as immunological deficiencies. To define an opportune rational treatment and to guide the molecular diagnosis of primary immunodeficiency diseases, we establish a program for the phenotypic diagnosis of these illnesses in Antioquia, Colombia, including clinical and laboratory evaluations of patients who present recurrent infections with abnormal evolution.