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Loxosceles and Loxoscelism: Biology, Venom, Envenomation, and Treatment

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Spider Venoms

Part of the book series: Toxinology ((TOXI))

Abstract

Loxosceles spiders are not aggressive and have nocturnal habits. Accidents occur owing to the compression of the spiders against victims’ body parts. The envenomation can progress to cutaneous necrosis at the bite site and, less frequently, to intravascular hemolysis. Loxosceles venom is has many components, among them phospholipase D, which is responsible for inducing dermonecrosis and complement-dependent hemolysis. The mechanism of action is very complex and multifactorial. Several treatments have been suggested for loxoscelism particularly antivenom, corticosteroids, and dapsone. As the cutaneous lesions of loxoscelism progress in a variety of forms and diagnosis is often relatively delayed, the assessment of treatment efficacy is compromised.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Vital Brazil Hospital, Butantan Institute, Av. Vital Brasil, 1500, 05503-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Ceila Maria Sant’Ana Malaque

  2. Department of Cell Biology, Laboratory of Extracellular Matrix and Venom Biotechnology, Federal University of Paraná, Centro Politécnico, Jd das Américas, 81590-080, Curitiba, PR, Brazil

    Olga Meiri Chaim

  3. Department of Health, Center for Poisoning Control, Parana, Curitiba, PR, Brazil

    Marlene Entres

  4. Laboratory of Immunopathology, Butantan Institute, Av. Vital Brasil, 1500, 05503-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Katia Cristina Barbaro

Authors
  1. Ceila Maria Sant’Ana Malaque
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  2. Olga Meiri Chaim
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  3. Marlene Entres
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  4. Katia Cristina Barbaro
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ceila Maria Sant’Ana Malaque .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    P. Gopalakrishnakone

  2. Department of Molecular Medicine and Bioprocesses, The Biotechnology Institute National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico

    Gerardo A. Corzo

  3. Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia Laboratório de Venenos e Toxinas Animais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Maria Elena de Lima

  4. Veerle, Belgium

    Elia Diego-García

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Malaque, C.M.S., Chaim, O.M., Entres, M., Barbaro, K.C. (2016). Loxosceles and Loxoscelism: Biology, Venom, Envenomation, and Treatment. In: Gopalakrishnakone, P., Corzo, G., de Lima, M., Diego-García, E. (eds) Spider Venoms. Toxinology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6389-0_4

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