Basic & Clinical Immunology [antikvár]

The editors wish to thank the readers for their reception of the first edition of this text. Recent advancements in all areas of immunology are the result of the efforts of increasing numbers of laboratory and clinical investigators in this field. With all this interest and activity has come a great expansion in the variety and bulk of the supporting literature. There are now a multitude of journals primarily devoted to immunologic topics, and almost all of the medical journals are soliciting or accepting articles on the immunologic features of disease, organ transplants, basic and applied research in immunology, tumor immunology, and immunotherapy. In response to helpful suggestions from our colleagues and students, several changes have been made in this edition. Each chapter has been revised by the authors to include new information and to remove outdated material. Several new chapters have been added. Chapter 1, The Foundations of Immunology, provides an introduction to the book. Chapter 9, Delayed Hypersensitivity and Macrophage Functions, introduces classical concepts and new developments in this area. The growing field of transplantation is now covered in two new chapters: Chapter 15, The Human Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC), and Chapter 16, Transplantation Immunology. Chapter 42, Oral and Dental Diseases, discusses the new field of dental immunology. We continue to solicit comments and suggestions from our readers for improvement of the book or correction of errors. A third edition is planned for 1980. The overall organization of the book has not been changed. It is divided into four sections, and the sequence of chapters is intended to be logical. The first section describes the fundamentals of immunochemistry and cellular immunology. The second section applies this knowledge to a discussion of immunobiology, an area that bridges basic and clinical immunology. The third section describes the immunologic laboratory tests that are available for evaluation of patients. The fourth section presents the immunologic aspects of a variety of human diseases. The clinical chapters focus on primary immunologic diseases or on disorders with important immunopathologic characteristics. These discussions are not intended to serve as a manual of clinical treatment; where specific medications or drug dosages are mentioned, the physician should also consult more comprehensive medical texts. It is hoped that this book will serve as a text for medical students, house officers, graduate students, practicing physicians, and others interested in learning more about the field. Immunologists from both basic and clinical disciplines should find it a comprehensive review. The support provided by the staff of the publisher has been invaluable in this venture, and they have our deep appreciation. Much of the art work was done by the expert hand of Ms Laurel Schaubert, who has our thanks. Finally, we wish to express our gratitude to the contributing authors whose knowledge it is that represents whatever value this book may have; and to the institutions that have supported us during the long task of preparing this book.