Page 5 - Clinical Immunology_ Principles and Practice ( PDFDrive )

Preface to the first edition vii

bonemarrow transplantation. Also included is a series of chapters In summary, we have intended to provide the reader with a
on pharmaceutical agents currently available to clinical immunolo- comprehensive and authoritative treatise on the broad subject
gists, both as anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as of clinical immunology, with particular emphasis on the diagnosis
newer agents with greater specificity for T cell-mediated immune and treatment of immunological diseases. It is anticipated that
responses. The section concludes with a series of chapters that the book will be used most frequently by the physician specialist
address established and potential applications of therapeutic practicing clinical immunology, both in his or her role as a
agents and approaches that are largely based on the new techniques primary physician and as a subsequent consultant. It is hoped,
of molecular medicine. In addition to pharmaceutical agents the however, that the book will also be of considerable utility to the
section deals in detail with such subjects as apheresis, cytokines, non-immunologist. Many of the diseases discussed authoritatively
monoclonal antibodies and immunotoxins, gene therapy and in the book are diseases commonly encountered by the generalist
new experimental approaches to the treatment of autoimmunity. physician. Indeed, as noted, because clinical immunology involves
The book concludes with a section devoted to approaches and diseases of virtually all organ systems, competence in the diagnosis
specific techniques involved in the diagnosis of immunologic and management of immunological diseases is important to
diseases. Use of the diagnostic laboratory in evaluation of complex virtually all clinicians. The editors would be particularly pleased
problems of immunopathogenesis has been a hallmark of the to see the book among the references readily available to the
clinical immunologist since inception of the discipline and practicing internist, pediatrician and family physician.
many clinical immunologists serve as directors of diagnostic
immunology laboratories. Critical assessment of the utilization of Robert R. Rich
techniques ranging from lymphocyte cloning to flow cytomeric Thomas A. Fleisher
phenotyping to molecular diagnostics are certain to continue as Benjamin D. Schwartz
an important function of the clinical immunologist, particularly William T. Shearer
in his or her role as expert consultant. Warren Strober