Pathophysiology of bradykinin and histamine mediated angioedema

Hermenio Lima; Jiayue Zheng; Dennis Wong; Susan Waserman; Gordon L Sussman

doi:10.3389/falgy.2023.1263432

Pathophysiology of bradykinin and histamine mediated angioedema

Front Allergy. 2023 Oct 18:4:1263432. doi: 10.3389/falgy.2023.1263432. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Hermenio Lima^{1

2}, Jiayue Zheng³, Dennis Wong⁴, Susan Waserman⁵, Gordon L Sussman⁶

Affiliations

¹ LEADER Research Inc., Hamilton, ON, Canada.
² Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
³ McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
⁴ Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁵ Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
⁶ Department of Medicine and Division of Clinical Immunology & Allergy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Abstract

Angioedema is characterized by swelling localized to the subcutaneous and submucosal tissues. This review provides an overview of angioedema, including the different types, triggers, and underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms. Hereditary and acquired angioedema are caused by dysregulation of the complement and kinin pathways. In contrast, drug-induced and allergic angioedema involve the activation of the immune system and release of vasoactive mediators. Recent advances in the understanding of the pathophysiology of angioedema have led to the development of targeted therapies, such as monoclonal antibodies, bradykinin receptor antagonists, and complement inhibitors, which promise to improve clinical outcomes in patients with this challenging condition. To accurately diagnose and manage angioedema, an understanding of this condition's complex and varied pathophysiology is both necessary and critical.

Keywords: angioedema; complement and kinin pathways; pathophysiology; targeted therapies; vasoactive mediators.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.