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Triple response

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The triple response is a simple way of demonstrating the early phases of acute inflammation. A patch of skin is mechanically 'injured' by lightly scratching with a nail; it produces the sequential triad:

  • immediate local reddening due to vasodilatation secondary to the release of chemical inflammatory mediators, particularly histamine
  • surrounding red flare response due to chemical mediators stimulating local free nerve endings
  • weal response - local swelling - due to cytokines increasing local vascular permeability to give an exudate

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