A comprehensive reference work: This looseleaf work is an authoritative compilation of methods for the detection of autoantibodies (Section A: Methods of Autoantibody Detection); the structure, function, and molecular and biochemical concepts of autoantigens (Section B: Autoantigens); and the clinical significance of measuring autoantibodies in patients with rheumatic, connective tissue and autoimmune diseases (Section C: Clinical Significance of Autoantibodies). This unique work brings together all the molecular and medical information - very difficult to retrieve otherwise - in ONE publication. The Editors and contributors are leading experts in the immunological, molecular biological, and clinical fields. The format of this looseleaf publication allows regular updating of data as well as inclusion of new advances in research on autoimmunity. Until now, the work (Basic work including Supplement 1) included Section A, and the larger part of Section B, both in an attractive and robust ringbinder. Audience: By nature and design of this exciting reference work, it is especially aimed at scientists, including immunologists, pathologists and molecular biologists, and clinical chemists, as well as clinicians specializing in rheumatic diseases and autoimmune disorders, inflammation or clinical immunology. Supplement 2: This supplement primarily contains Section C (Clinical Significance of Autoantibodies). As in the other sections, the contents are presented in a consistently structured manner, beautifully illustrated with photos and schematic figures. Extensive literature references are provided. Also, this supplement includes an addition to Section B (Autoantigens), being chapter B.1.5: The Antigens Defined by Antikeratin Antibodies (AKA).

Parasitic diseases still affect millions of people every year, especially in the tropics, causing considerable morbidity or death. Such infections within livestock are probably an even bigger problem, leading to poorer productivity, condemna tion of infected meat and considerable economic loss. Para sitological research has, however, helped the situation in some cases and the development of novel drugs, vaccines and diagnostics has improved our chances of controlling these diseases. Research into parasitic infections is, therefore, often goal orientated. However, the study of parasites and host/parasite relationships still remains one of the most exciting and in teresting aspects of biology. Scientists, from undergraduate students to research professors, frequently ponder over how endoparasitic organisms can survive within the most alien of environments - inside another organism. The nutritional, reproductive and survival strategies which have evolved within each group of parasites have allowed the development of highly specific host-parasite relationships and allow the successful transmission of the parasite from one host to an other. A considerable amount of research is therefore direc ted at improving our understanding of various aspects of parasite biology."

Experimental and clinical evidence presented in this book illustrates that antibodies expressing different specificities can be very effective in preventing or reversing established transplant rejection. Moreover, the data leads us to hope that the use of these new therapeutic agents may allow the induction of specific tolerance to transplant alloantigens which is the only means to avoid the major risks of sustained immunosuppression, namely an increased susceptibility to infection and tumor development. In this volume the editors combine contributions dealing with very practical aspects of the clinical use of monoclonal antibodies with a more general discussion on the developments one may foresee in the near future.

Concepts of nonlinear physics are applied to an increasing number of research disciplines. With this volume, the editors offer a selection of articles on nonlinear topics in progress, ranging from physics and chemistry to biology and some applications of social science. The book covers quantum optics, electron crystallization, cellular or flow patterns in fluids and in granular media, biological systems, and the control of brain structures via neuronal excitation. Chemical patterns are looked at both in bulk solutions and on surfaces in heterogeneous systems. From regular structures, the authors turn to the more complex behavior in biology and physics, such as hydrodynamical turbulence, low-dimensional dynamics in solid-state physics, and gravity.

Most diseases are multifactoral. Transgenic technology permits gene(s) of interest to be expressed in a small manipulatable laboratory animal model. By this process, murine models of human infections can be developed and studied; effects of cytokines in vivo, focally expressed in unique cells can be established and manipulated, and a variety of autoimmune disorders, mimicking human disease can be constructed. In this volume, these approaches for study of human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis virus, viruses causing tumors and chronic degenerative disorders are described. Also included are chapters of transgenic models of autoimmune disorders like diabetes, systemic lupus and ankylosing spondylitis.

Recent research has revealed the importance of immunological mechanisms and inflammation in delaying damage and/or promoting repair after an acute injury to the central nervous system. This book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the role of immunological mechanisms and therapies for treating acute neurological injuries such as cerebral ischemia, hemorrhage, and brain and spinal cord trauma. In several sections, the contributing authors provide a review of immunological mechanisms involved in neurological injury and of various translational and clinical research aimed at harnessing those mechanisms for better patient outcomes.

"Complement Systems: Methods and Protocols"is composed of32 individual chapters that describe a variety of protocols to purify and analyze the activity of the individual complement components or pathways. It includes assays that describe detection of complement SNPs, clinical methods to evaluate complement system activation and data interpretation.Written in the highly successful"Methods in Molecular Biology "series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Authoritative and practical, "Complement Systems: Methods and Protocols"provides acollection of well-established classical assays and recently developed new assays to analyze the complement system activation will be useful to a wide audience of scientists."

Introductory Immunology: Basic Concepts for Interdisciplinary Applications, Third Edition includes aspects of microbiology and related immune defense mechanisms important in combating disease, as well as critical components related to the field of vaccine development. Knowledge on effector mechanisms addressing components inherent within cellular responses that are either newly discovered or missing from the previous edition are covered. The book puts an extra emphasis on aspects related to mechanisms important in combating microbial agents, with critical sections on how vaccines protect against pathogenic invaders to limit associated pathology. This new edition has been completely updated and revised, offering an expanded concise, conceptual approach to understanding immune systems as a primary defense to maintain health and homeostasis. It is specifically focused towards an educated audience that does not have a deep understanding of medical, biochemical or cellular knowledge.

Legionnaires disease, a potentially fatal type of pneumonia primarily affecting elderly and immuno-compromised persons, is caused by the ubiquitous environmental bacterium "Legionella pneumophila." This book offers authoritative reviews of different facets of its virulence, focusing on comparative phagocyte infection, virulence gene regulation, biochemical functions of effector proteins and cellular pathogen-host interactions, as well as host responses and immunity to "L. pneumophila." Taken together, the contributions in this compilation provide a state-of-the-art overview of current insights into the molecular pathogenesis of the opportunistic and potentially fatal pathogen "L. pneumophila.""

The interaction of immune function and nutrition underlies the low-grade chronic inflammation involved in the etiology of many common obesity-associated and age-related chronic disease conditions. This close interaction is the genesis of the term immunonutrition, which represents a new interdisciplinary field of nutritional and medical research. Immunonutrition: Interactions of Diet, Genetics, and Inflammation introduces the breadth of this field, which implicates nutrition in both immune function and in the etiology, prevention, and treatment of common diseases influenced by inflammation and immune imbalance, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, autoimmune diseases, and common forms of cancer. The book begins by reviewing the basic mechanisms of immunity and cellular mechanisms of cytokine activation. It discusses the effects of dietary fat intake and changes in Western diet and lifestyle linked to inflammation. It also describes the interaction of genetics and environment in the modulation of immune function and inflammation, and addresses exercise and skeletal muscle as an endocrine and immune organ. The book reviews the entire spectrum of inflammation and cancer from causation to its role in tumor therapy. It examines abdominal obesity and metabolic diseases, interactions between nutrition and autoimmunity in systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammation associated with type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, Alzheimer's disease, and asthma. Considering potential nutrition-based treatments, the book explores approaches for reducing abdominal obesity, anti-inflammatory effects of phytochemicals, practical strategies for increasing fruit and vegetable intake, and anti-inflammatory properties of spice phytonutrients. In addition, it explores how uninformed food choices related to fats and oils create a balance of tissue-selective signals that produce harmful health outcomes and how to restore a healthy balance.

Mounting evidence in the past decade indicates that innate immunity mediates functions above and beyond first-line defense against infection. It is now appreciated that innate immune mechanisms are critically involved in the development of adaptive immunity and, moreover, the regulation of diverse physiological and homeostatic processes. The latter explains why deregulation of innate immunity may lead to pathological disorders that are not necessarily or directly related to host defense. This Volume compiles the latest advances in this rapidly evolving field as presented by eminent scientists at the 7th International Aegean Conference on Innate Immunity in Rhodes, Greece. It includes topics related to the biology and function of Toll-like and other pattern-recognition receptors, complement and its crosstalk with other physiological systems, inflammatory mechanisms and diseases, natural killer cells, and the cooperative interplay between innate and adaptive immune cells. This book is an excellent source of information for researchers and clinicians with interests in immunology, host-microbe interactions, and infectious and inflammatory diseases.

Multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a heterogeneous population of cells which reside in a variety of tissues. They differentiate into several mesodermal lineages, secrete a multitude of trophic factors and contribute to tissue homeostasis. MSCs are able to exert immunosuppressive activities by interfering with inflammatory cytokine production and with T- and B-cell proliferation. These immunomodulating properties make MSCs promising candidates for the treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. There are, however, certain caveats involved including inappropriate migration of cells in the body, immune rejection, tumor formation, or graft versus host disease (GvHD). This book investigates the current state of the MSC-dependent therapy of chronic inflammatory disorders and autoimmune diseases. Among the covered topics are GvHD, chronic kidney, liver and lung disease, ischemic heart and inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, various rheumatic and neurological disorders and, lastly, tumors and solid organ transplantations. This book also questions the immunoprivileged status of MSCs, discusses the therapeutic role of MSCs in experimental animal disease models and their translation to the corresponding human disorders, envisions a role for MSCs in tumor interventions and, lastly, describes a systems biology approach for stem cells and inflammation.

This comprehensive treatise on the reticuloendothelial system is a project jointly shared by individual members of the Reticuloendothelial (RE) Society and bio- medical scientists in general who are interested in the intricate system of cells and molecular moieties derived from those cells that constitute the RES. It may now be more fashionable in some quarters to consider these cells as part of what is called the mononuc1ear phagocytic system or the lymphoreticular system. Nevertheless, because of historical developments and current interest in the subject by investigators from many diverse areas, it seems advantageous to present in one comprehensive treatise current information and knowledge con- cerning basic aspects of the RES, such as morphology, biochemistry, phylogeny and ontogeny, physiology, and pharmacology, as well as c1inical areas inc1uding immunopathology, cancer, infectious diseases, allergy, and hypersensitivity. It is anticipated that, by presenting information concerning these apparently het- erogeneous topics under the unifying umbrella of the RES, attention will be focused on the similarities as well as interactions among the cell types constitut- ing the RES from the viewpoint of various disciplines. The treatise editors and their editorial board, consisting predominantly of the editors of individual vol- umes, are extremely grateful for the enthusiastic cooperation and enormous task undertaken by members of the biomedical community in general and especially by members of the American as well as European and Japanese Reticuloen- dothelial Societies.

Will address an important, yet underrepresented, topic. The correlation between viruses and atherosclerosis has been a focal point of the authors work, for a number of years. This volume will explore the relationship between different viral strains and atherosclerosis. It will begin by describing the hypothesis and denoting the mechanisms of virus-driven atherosclerosis, then expanding on the subject by focusing on different virus strains from Herpes, to Epstein-Barr, to the triad of Hepatitis viruses, et al on a chapter-by-chapter basis. While there are books, albeit few, that cover particular viral strains and their relationship to cardiovascular diseases, this work will be unique in its scope by considering multiple strains of viruses, making it a repository of information on the topic; a truly comprehensive volume. "

Retroviruses have been of great importance to biomedical science for the past half century. Initially, studies on oncogenic animal retroviruses provided important insights into molecular processes in carcinogenesis - most notably the existence and mechanisms of action of oncogenes and proto-oncogenes. Moreover, several human diseases are caused by retroviruses, including AIDS, adult T-cell leukemia and the neurological disease HAM/TSP. The topic of this volume is a relatively unknown animal retrovirus, jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus, the causative agent of transmissible lung cancer in sheep -ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma. The disease was first documented in South Africa in the 1800s, it has a wide geographical distribution, and it is of economic importance in high endemic regions. However, until very recently the nature of the etiologic agent was unclear, and relatively few laboratories actively studied the disease.

This book is about the phenotypic and functional features of epidermal Langerhans cells in experimental models and in clinical medicine. Langerhans cells, members of the dendritic cell system in the skin, are critically involved in the regulation of cell-mediated immune responses and gain increasing attention in a wide spectrum of clinical areas such as allergy, autoimmunity, transplantation and resistance to tumors and infections. The book covers the latest, most timely developments in this rapidly advancing field. Leading researchers describe functional analyses at the cell and molecular level, elucidating processes related to antigen presentation and the role of cytokines, and discuss perspectives for a future use of Langerhans cells and other dendritic cells in the immunotherapy of various diseases.

Cell adhesion - the attachment of cells to any surface such as other cell membranes or tissues - is a complex process. In many physiological and pathological processes adhesion of a cell is the first critical step.
A wide spectrum of the most powerful techniques currently available to study the basic parameters of cell adhesion, including binding strength, binding efficiency, membrane-membrane or membrane-substrate interaction, structural properties and dynamics of cell surface molecules, is presented in this strategy book. Sophisticated quantitative approaches as well as comprehensible semi-quantitative methods are described. The detailed theoretical background allows the critical assessment and application of these techniques.

In autumn 2002, the Ernst Schering Research Foundation Workshop sponsored the 45th in its series of conferences devoted to emerging areas in basic and applied biomedical research. These conferences bring together a critical mass of top scientists working in an impor- tant area in an intimate setting that fosters the free exchange of knowledge and ideas. In this spirit, Workshop 45 assembled leaders in the field of chemokines - hemotactic cytokines that coordinate leukocyte trafficking - amid the scenic vineyards and wineries of Napa Valley, to discuss the latest concepts of how these molecules regulate the immune response and disease. Chemokines were se- lected as a conference topic because they have revitalized the study of leukocyte trafficking and are widely considered to be potential new targets for drug development, in diseases ranging from acute in- flammation and autoimmunity to HIV and cancer. Discovered in the 1980s, the chemokine superfamily currently has 43 human members, making it the largest subset of cytokines. Mem- bers are defined by conserved sequences and a common three-di- mensional fold, and can be divided into two major functional groups - homeostatic and inflammatory - depending on whether they are produced constitutively, and thereby control basal lymphocyte traf- ficking, or whether they must be induced, for example by pathogens or injury, and thereby control deployment of effector leukocytes in emergencies.

In 1986, the Committee of Experts on Blood Transfusion and Immunohae- tology of the Council of Europe chose for their Programme of Co-ordinated Research "An investigation of the procurement and sharing of transplantable organs for potential recipients who are highly sensitized to HLA-antigens." This topic was of common concern to all centres practising renal transplan- tion. The terms of reference of the study were: To estimate the number of patients who are virtually "untransplantable" because of high sensitization in each European country. To study the nature of immunization in terms of the type and specificity of antibodies present in the blood and techniques used for their detection. To investigate possible practical solutions - both current and future, invo- ing cross-matching procedures, the circulation of reference material from patients, and the willingness of the national organizations to share resources. 4. To explore other methods of resolving this problem. Although the study did not offer the prospect of a brilliant new insight into the problem of high sensitization, it was unique in several ways: for the first time we saw all European organizations collaborating in a common project to provide information on their activities, their problems and the methods to resolve them; it introduced, for this subject, relatively novel statistical methods to investigate susceptibility to sensitization and factors affecting transplant outcome; it enabled a large database of transplanted highly sensitized patients and matched controls to be assembled, that would have been unavailable as a research resource at any single centre.

Borna disease was first described over 200 years ago, in what is now Southeastern Germany, as a fatal neurologic affliction of horses and was considered a curiosity for many decades. The causative agent was unknown, and the animal species infected in nature were limited to horses and sheep. Today, as described in this volume, the host range has extended to all warm-blooded animals, the genes and proteins of the virus have been identified, and many of the mechanisms responsible for behavioral disturbances are understood. Serologic studies suggest that BDV or related agents are likely to play a role in human neuropsychiatric diseases.

"Immuno Systems Biology" aims to study the immune system in the more integrated manner on how cells and molecules participate at different system levels to the immune function. Through this bookKumar Selvarajoointroduces to physicists, chemists, computer scientists, biologists and immunologists the idea of an integrated approach to the understanding of mammalian immune system. Geared towards a researcher with limited immunological and computational analytical experience, the book provides a broad overview to the subject and some instruction in basic computational, theoretical and experimental approaches. The book links complex immunological processes with computational analysis and emphasizes the importance of immunology to themammalian system. "

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract are common. There is increasing appreciation of the importance of the immune system in the pathogenesis of a number of these diseases. This book covers basic aspects of innate and adaptive immunity in the gastrointestinal tract, oral tolerance, and cellular and molecular mechanisms of acute and chronic inflammation. Specific disease covered include bacterial infections, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, coeliac disease, and inflammatory bowel disease. Other topics include mucosal immunisation and intestinal transplantation immunology. The readership of this book includes clinicians, scientists, and students interested in the gastrointestinal tract.

Autoimmunity, characterized by autoreactive lymphocytes and autoantibodies, is the consequence of a failure to discriminate between self and non-self, and autoimmune diseases are an increasing threat to people living in the industrialized countries. Autoimmune disorders are treatable, but not curable, and patients can face disability at later stages of the disease. Thus, there is a medical and economic need for new concepts and treatments in autoimmune disorders. New concepts and treatments can only be achieved by an interdisciplinary approach bringing together expertise, technologies, and clinical experience. The workshop focused on multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and type I diabetes, and discussed conventional drug therapies, gene therapy, cell and tissue transplantation therapies, and first treatments using blood stem cells for reprogramming the patients' immune system.

9. Wright, D. J. M. (1980). Reaction following treatment of murine borreliosis and Shwartzman type reaction with borrelial sonicates. Parasite Immunol. , 2, 201-21 10. Tekli. l, B. , Habte-Michal, A. , White, N. J. , Warrell, D. A. and Wright, D. J. M. (1983). Meptazinol diminishes the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction. Lancet, 1, 835-9 II. Wright, D. J. M. (1973). The significance of the fluorescent treponemal antibody (FTA- ABS) test in collagen disorders and leprosy. J. Clin. Pathol. , 26, 968-72 12. Noguchi, H. (1911). A cutaneous reaction in syphilis. J. Exp. Med. , 14, 557-68 13. Frei W. (1925). Eine neue hautreaktion bei 'lymphogranuloma inguinale'. Klin. Wochenschr. , 4, 2148-9 14. Murray, J. F. , Felton, C. P. , Garay, S. M. et al. (1984). Pulmonary complications of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Report of a National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute workshop. N. Engl. J. Med. , 310, 1682-8 15. Ehrmann, S. (1907). Versuche uber autoinfektion bei syphilis. Verh. Dtsch. Dermatol. Gesel Berl. , 1,265-70 16. Gluck, A. , cited by Grin E. 1. (1953). Epidemiology and control of endemic syphilis: report on mass treatment campaign in Bosnia. Monograph I I, pp. 34-5. (Geneva: WHO) 17. Neisser, A. , cited by Chesney, A. (1926). Immunity in syphilis. Medicine (BaIt. ), 5,463-87 18. Grimble, A. and Lessof, M. H. (1965). Anti-prostate antibodies in arthritis. Brit. Med. J. , 11, 263-4 xiii 1 Syphilis S. J.

Until recently, the contribution of immunological knowledge to the under standingand management ofENTdisorders was slight, being largely confined to the appreciation that many rhinitic patients were allergic. Happily, this situation is rapidly changing: the immunological basis of many disorders of the ears, nose and throat is becoming recognized and the mechanisms of the reactions involved are being elucidated. From this, rational therapy should evolve. This book aims to highlight some of the areas in which immunological mechanisms are involved in otorhinolaryngology. It is written by experts in their respective fields of immunology and allergy, otology, rhinology and pathology. It opens with an overview ofthe pathways ofthe immune response and the cells and molecules involved, leading to an appreciation of the normal defence mechanisms of the upper respiratory tract and possible areas offailure. There is then a chapter on HIV infection and how this may present to otorhinolaryngologists. The normal function of the tonsil and the immunological effects oftonsillectomy are then considered. The varying roles of fungi in ENT disorders ranging from commensal through allergen to invasive organisms is assessed by Professor R. J. Hay. Perhaps the most obvious immunological contribution to management thus far lies in the immunocytochemical diagnosis of pathological conditions of the ears, nose and throat and this is covered in a chapter by Professor Leslie Michaels."