The discovery of C-reactive protein in the laboratory of O. T. Avery at Rockefeller University in 1929-30 was the first specific obser vation of the acute phase plasma protein response (Tillett and Francis 1930). This was one of three contributions of fundamental importance which emerged from that laboratory, the other two being the recognition that polysaccharides could act as antigens and that DNA transmits genetic information. In the course of charac terization of pneumococcal carbohydrate antigens, a somatic poly saccharide common to all Rand S forms of pneumococci was identified and...

Based on a symposium covering latest research, this volume contains contributions by international experts. They investigate the role that viruses play in certain diseases, and include discussions of animal models and human trials. Some of the chapters cover specifically: streptococci and rheumatic heart disease, Epstein-Barr infection and cancer, and molecular mimicry and autoimmune disease.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease remains the major cause of death and disability in Western society. The field of atherosclerosis research has grown tremendously over the last forty years, shedding a great deal of light on the contributing factors and natural history of the disorder and enabling strategies for its treatment and prevention. Some of the greatest strides in this field in recent years have derived from advances in molecular biology techniques. These strides were chosen for emphasis in the most recent Princess Lilian symposium, whose proceedings this volume represents....