Immunoregulation is one of the areas which has witnessed the most explosive advances of immunology during the past decade. It is in this area that the current view of the immune system has arisen and developed. There is indeed little doubt that immune reactions are primarily determined by messages which are genera ted within the immune system and passed among different types of immunologie cells. This cell communication not only determines the type, intensity and duration of the response after perturbation of the immune system by exogenous antigens, but it is also essential for preventing autoimmune reactions and their clinical conse quences. In order to assure aperfect balance within the enormous com plexity of the immune system, it is not surprising that multiple self-regulatory mechanisms are organized at different levels, such as antibody feedback, idiotypic-anti-idiotypic responses, suppres sor and helper T cells, lymphokine signals and genetic require ments. A nu mb er of observations in recent years have, however, demonstrated that consistent contributions to the immunological homeostasis are given also by signals generated outside of the immune system, namely,in the central and autonomous nervous system as weIl as in the endocrine apparatus. Furthermore, the interactions between the immune system and the other body homestatic mechanisms seem to be bidirectional: if immunological cells may be targets of neuroendocrinological factors, immunological products seem in turn to contribute to the neuro endocrine homeostasis.

This book discusses typical skin diseases from an immunological point of view, introducing the latest immunological techniques and practices. It begins with a brief overview of the human immune system, including the basic concepts and principles as well as the general symbols used in immunology. Part Two describes the human skin as an integral part of the immune system, explaining the immunological roles of major cellular and molecular composites in the skin. Part Three illustrates typical skin diseases that have immunological involvement (immunodermatological conditions). It describes 40 skin diseases, focusing on immunological causes, pathogenesis, pattern of reaction and treatment choices and responses. The final part discusses advanced immunodiagnostics and immunotherapy in dermatology, providing detailed descriptions of immune techniques for the diagnosis of skin diseases, their principles and background, indications, requirements for sampling, test protocols, interpretation of results and trouble shooting. This work offers insights into both the systemic immune system and the skin immune system, and integrates the information into discussions of clinical diseases, relevant immune techniques and immunological drugs. Presenting the latest advances in clinical immunology, it is an invaluable resource for dermatologists, residents and graduate students in dermatology.

Inflammation and Immunity in Depression: Basic Science and Clinical Applications is the first book to move beyond the established theory of cytokine-induced depression and explore the broader role the immune system plays in this devastating mood disorder. The book fully explores the most recent lines of research into this rapidly advancing field, including alterations of T-cells, the neurobiological implications of neuroinflammation and immune alterations for brain development and function, and the genetic components of neuroinflammation in depression, including the relationships between stress and inflammation that are revealing gene-environment interactions in the disorder. Combining contributions from researchers worldwide, this book provides the most comprehensive discussion available today on the involvement of the innate immune and adaptive immune systems in depressive disorder. Chapters span neuroscience, psychology, clinical applications and future directions, making this book an invaluable resource for advanced students, researchers and practitioners who need to understand the complex and varied role of inflammation and immune responses in depression. - Synthesizes current knowledge of inflammation and immunity in depression, ranging from basic neuroscience research, to clinical applications in psychiatry - Expands on the long-established theory of cytokine-induced depression to discuss broader involvement of the immune system - Explores translational potential of targeting immune dysfunction for clinical interventions