IMMUNOLOGICAL COMMUNICATIONS, 1 2 ( 2 ) , 247-248 (1983)

BOOK REVIEW

IMMUNOLOGY AND SKIN DISEASES [CUrrent t o p i c s i n immunology series: Vol. 151

Author s : R.H. Cormane and S.S. Asghar

J. Turk , Ed.

Edward Arnold , London., 1981 Hardcover , 230 p a g e s , $

I n t h e las t decade the d i s c i p l i n e of immunology has u n d e r g o n e r a p i d a d v a n c e s a n d i t is now w i d e l y i n v o l v e d i n many biological

a n d medical s c i e n c e s .

immunology is h e l p i n g t o u n r a v e l i n t r i c a t e medical p rob lems is dermato logy . The s ta ted aim of t h i s book i s I)... t o describe

norma l immunologica l p r o c e s s e s a n d t o show t h a t d e r a i l m e n t i n these p r o c e s s e s a t v a r i o u s l e v e l s may c a u s e a v a r i e t y of s k i n

disorders.". In v i e w o f t h e volume of i n f o r m a t i o n c u r r e n t l y

a v a i l a b l e t h e a u t h o r s have d e c i d e d t o n o t d i s c u s s t r a d i t i o n a l w e l l e s t a b l i s h e d c o n c e p t s b u t ra ther t o f o c u s on r e c e n t deve lopmen t s of

immunologica l a s p e c t s of de rma to logy .

One of t h e areas where a knowledge of

The t e x t c o n s i s t s of seven . c h a p t e r s : 1) I n t r o d u c t i o n ; 2) Skin a n t i g e n s ; 3) A n t i b o d i e s ; 4) Complement; 5) T - c e l l

mediated immunity; 6) Polymorphonuclear l e u k o c y t e s ;

7) Macrophages. Pe rhaps t h e most d i s a p p o i n t i n g f e a t u r e o f t h i s t i m e l y

t r e a t m e n t of a r a p i d l y expand ing t o p i c is t h e lack of i n - d e p t h

c o v e r a g e of t h e s u b j e c t matter. The a u t h o r s i n each chap te r

b r i e f l y and c l e a r l y d e f i n e and d i s c u s s classic immunologica l

p r i n c i p l e s . Such i n f o r m a t i o n is a v a i l a b l e i n a wide r a n g e o f

a l t e r n a t i v e p u b l i c a t i o n s . I n t h e o p i n i o n of t h i s reviewer, it is u n f o r t u n a t e t h a t t h i s s p a c e was n o t allocated t o d e v e l o p i n g more

247

Copyright 0 1983 by Marcel Dekker, Inc.

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248 BOOK REVIEW

i n s i g h t i n t o t h e immunodermato logica l p r o c e s s e s . The consequence

of t h e a u t h o r s d e c i s i o n is t h a t i n s u f f i c i e n t c o v e r a g e is g i v e n t o

t h e p a r t i c u l a r s k i n d i so rde r s a n d t h e i r r e l a t i o n s h i p t o t h e immune sys tem.

Chap te r 2: S k i n a n t i g e n s which contains a wea l th of o t h e r w i s e d i f f i c u l t t o o b t a i n i n f o r m a t i o n .

The single o u t s t a n d i n g e x c e p t i o n t o t h i s s t a t e m e n t is

T h i s t ex t w i l l b e u s e f u l t o c l i n i c a l dermatologists and w i l l

p r o v i d e a t a n t a l i z i n g i n s i g h t ( a l t h o u g h and u n f o r t u n a t e l y o n l y a morsel) i n t o t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p between a b n o r m a l i t i e s o f t h e immune s y s t e m and s k i n diseases a r i s i n g from t h e s e a l t e r a t i o n s .

D a r r y l R. Absolom.

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