SERUM SICKNESS-LIKE ILLNESS ASSOCIATED WITH RIFAMPICIN

We describe a patient with human immunodeficiency virus infection who developed the main clinical features of a serum sickness reaction whil e receiving treatment with daily therapeutic doses of tuberculostatic drugs. A decrease in complement titers as well as a detection of signi ficant levels of circulating immune complexes were observed A positive skin test result was observed six hours after an intradermal test wit h rifampicin. No immunoglobulin or complement deposition was observed by direct immunofluorescence of a punch biopsy specimen from the cutan eous lesion.