Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus is characterized by the destruction of the host immune system as also reflected by a progressive loss of CD4-positive T-cells. This finally results in the host's incapacity to deal with opportunistic infections and the immune surveillance of tumors, a clinical status known as the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
The book AIDS Pathogenesis provides the reader with a complete overview of the clinical course of HIV-1 infection. It describes the clinical aspects of primary infection, the different clinical outcomes of HIV-1...

This publication provides a comprehensive account of the known groups of human tumour antigens, and the immune effector cells involved in tumour rejection. Chapters dealing with all the major groups of human tumour antigens are included, covering differentiation antigens, testes-associated antigens, CEA, mucin, viral antigens, anti-idiotypic antibodies as antigens, and fusion proteins. The role of heat shock proteins as mediators of tumour immunity is discussed and consideration is given to the immune mechanisms which mediate tumour rejection in both human and animal systems. The application...

Although it has been appreciated for many years that immune processes underlie most types of glomerulonephritis, it is the recent explosion in knowl- edge of cellular and molecular immunology that has prompted another book on the subject. The understanding of the mechanisms involved in renal injury requires the integration of information from in vitro cell-culture systems, experimental models of disease, and clinical studies. This volume draws on all of these sources in an attempt to explain current concepts of nephritis. Increased emphasis is placed on autoimmune processes, as opposed to the...

This work has broad applications in clinical medicine, ranging from prevention and treatment of organ and bone marrow transplant rejection, management of various autoimmune disorders (for example, rheumatoid arthritis), skin disease and asthma. Whereas traditionally only a small repertoire of immunosuppressive agents was available for clinical use, recent discoveries have significantly increased the number of approved agents, resulting in numerous trials to further evaluate their potential. There is also considerable interest in the potential of cell-based therapies (particularly...

The complement system plays a major role in the host's defence against infections and in immune complex diseases. Although it is known to consist of a number of serum and membrane proteins that interact through a cascade, there is still a poor understanding of the exact nature of the components and their complex interaction. Many of the biological consequences of complement activation also await elucidation. This fully revised edition of Complement in Health and Disease provides an up-to-date account of how the system works and its effects on the host. Key topics covered include the history,...

The role of the immune response in both the pathology of liver disease and in the modulation ofliver injury has been the subject of intense research. This book aims to present the current understanding of the involvement of the immune response in liver disease. The first chapters examine the role of the immune response in viral infections of the liver. These viruses cause hepatitis of varying severity and it is thought that many of the mechanisms responsible for liver cell injury are immunologically mediated. In addition three of these viruses, hepatitic B, C, and D, are associated with...

The immune system has evolved in large part to enable organisms to resist microbial infeetion. Given this very fundamental relationship between the immune system and infeetious microbial agents it is entirely appropriate that avolume in this series should be devoted to the immunology of infeetion. Mieroorganisms have long been used as experimental tools by immunologists, and the study of the immune response to viruses and baeteria has eontributed mueh to our understanding of basie immunologieal meehanisms (for example of the meehanism by whieh non-self determinants on eells are reeognized)....

Connective tissue diseases demand study because of their frequency, morbidity and mortality. They present intriguing challenges in the fields of diagnosis, management and research. Their range has now expanded enormously so that no individual can master the whole subject, particularly as this relates to their immunological basis.
Immunology of Connective Tissue Diseases has been written by experts who are either clinical or basic scientists. The book presents up-to-date reviews of the immunological basis of connective tissue diseases as it impacts on diagnosis, pathogenetic...

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...

Gastrointestinal diseases present a considerable problem in human medicine in terms of both morbidity and mortality. The aim of this book is to cover the different immunological disorders of the gut with special reference to immunopathological and protective mechanisms. It will be of general interest to clinicians, scientists and students concerned with the gastrointestinal tract.
Topics covered include: the current status of research into toxin-secreting pathogens, Campylobacter, Giardia and HIV; the immunological features of idiopathic inflammatory gut diseases such as Crohn's disease...