Autoimmunity: Genetic, Immunologic, Virologic, and Clinical Aspects. Norman Talal. New York, Academic Press, Inc., 1977, 734 pages; illustrated.
✍ Scribed by David Koffler
- Book ID
- 101645821
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1980
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 110 KB
- Volume
- 23
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0004-3591
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
This monograph is a collection of manuscripts from the participants of a symposium on the Immunopathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis which was held at Guys Hospital, London, on November 22-23, 1978. The text is divided into 8 major sections, beginning with the immunogenetics of rheumatoid arthritis, followed by sections on lymphocytes, rheumatoid factors, autoantibodies, immune complexes, complement, macrophages, and mechanisms of joint destruction. It is a timely monograph and covers a wide range of recent research findings. A general introductory background is provided with several of the major sections to acquaint the reader to fields which may otherwise be distressingly complex. These background sections are extremely useful. Another excellent feature of the monograph is the extensive reference list provided at the end of each chapter.
Unfortunately, because the manuscripts were prepared by the participants prior to the conference, some of the material is redundant. Other topics which might have received greater attention are given only casual reference: for example, animal models of rheumatoid disease, mediators of inflammation, and putative infectious agents mediating the primary onset of the disease. Nonetheless, several of the chapters are useful and up-to-date, such as the chapter on HLA-DR and its relationship to rheumatoid arthritis, the chapters on rheumatoid factors, the chapter on antinuclear antibodies with special reference to those specific for B lymphocytes infected with Epstein-Barr virus, and the chapter on collagenase. One of the most appealing chapters, albeit too brief, is Professor Bywaters' finale which is a welcome attempt to tie together the varied directions of current research in this field.
In summary, despite some repetition, this monograph provides useful, up-to-date summaries of selected research areas. The interested reader had better hurry, however, because research in rheumatology tends to move at a pace that limits the useful half-life of books such as this one.