Immunology

Immunology focuses on the study of immunology. The first half of this book provides a treatise of basic immunology, while the rest is more clinically orientated and illustrates the importance of immune mechanisms for health and disease.

This text emphasizes the three good reasons why immunology should be studied. First is that man cannot survive without immunological defense against foreign material. Second is that these same immunological defense mechanisms can cause various forms of tissue damage that result in different diseases. Finally, some immunological reactions can be used as sensitive and highly specific methods for analytical and diagnostically useful determinations of low molecular substances.

This publication is primarily intended for students of medicine and natural sciences, as well as clinicians concerned with the field of immunology.

1 Anatomy of the Immune System

2 Immunoglobulins

3 Antigens

4 Antigen-Antibody Reactions

5 The Complement System

6 Production of Antibodies

7 Cell-Mediated Immune Reactions

8 Immune Tolerance and Autoimmunity

9 Immunogenetics

10 Tumour Immunology

11 Host Defence against Infections

12 Immunoprophylaxis-Immunoglobulins, Vaccines

13 Deficiencies in Host Defence

14 Clinical Transplantation Immunology

15 Clinical Tumour Immunology

16 Immunological Diseases: Immunological Reactivity, Inflammation and Tissue Damage

17 Atopic Allergies and Contact Allergies

18 Immunological Side Effects of Drugs

19 Immune Complex Diseases

20 The Complement System and Disease

21 Autoimmune Diseases

22 Immunosuppressive Therapy

Appendix 1: Blood Group Serology for Clinical Use

Appendix 2: Immunological Diagnosis of Immunodeficiencies and Immunological Diseases

Glossary

Index