Dermatologists are being asked to understand the pathophysiology of a number of immune-mediated skin diseases. In addition, a number of new products have appeared on the market during the past decade which requires an understanding of the mechanisms of action of these drugs. Dermatologists, however, have no easily understood book to which they can refer to regarding the disease or the drug.

By 1940, immunological mechanisms had been proved to have fundamental influ ences on a great number and variety of skin reactions, and skin diseases had brought to light a great number of fundamental immunological mechanisms that were basic to a wide range of different diseases, dermatological and nondermato logical. The preeminence of dermatological research in the advancement of immu nological knowledge should not astonish anyone. For the skin is not only the most easily accessible tissue for producing and studying immunological reactions, it is also the great organ of protection that meets the first onslaughts of inimical environmental forces and agents-potential enemies, both living and dead. And protection is in essence what immunology is all about. To get an idea of the long-established role that testing the skin and the study of its many reactions has played in advancing general immunology, one need recall only smallpox vaccination; tuberculin testing; testing with fungal extracts; skin testing in hay fever, asthma, and serum sickness; skin tests with toxins and toxoids; the patch test; the passive transfer of skin-adhering antibodies (reagins); skin sensitization by simple chemicals; and similar dermatological procedures that have exerted their influence on medical and scientific disciplines far beyond dermatology.

Immunodermatology presents a comprehensive examination of the proceedings that resulted from the International Immunodermatology Symposium which happened in London. It discusses the relationship of immuno-histochemical study to skin disease. It addresses the function and recognition of lymphocytes. Some of the topics covered in the book are the immunological observations in 12 cases of Kaposi's herpetic eruption; anti-inflammatory effects of adrenoceptor agonists in patients with atopic eczema; a study of the sensitivity and specificity of cutaneous vascular immunofluorescence; and functional activity of granulocytes from patients with neutrophilic dermatoses. The mechanisms of cutaneous lupus erythematosus are fully covered. An in-depth account of the cytochemical and immunological findings in cutaneous multilobated cell lymphoma are provided. The immunohistological analysis of dermal leprous granulomas is completely presented. A chapter is devoted to the study of human epidermal cell differentiation using monoclonal antibodies. Another section focuses on the prognostic significance of melanoma-associated antigens in primary and metastatic melanomas. The book can provide useful information to doctors, dermatologists, students, and researchers.

This updated volume provides a “user-friendly” reference for dermatologists, dermatology residents and students, as well as for health care workers in related fields to better understand immune-mediated skin diseases and their therapies. The focus is on what is needed by the physician/resident or student for betting understanding the pathophysiology of the disease as well as the mechanisms of action of the therapies. The reader can easily read about groups of related diseases as well as groups of related therapies. The level of complexity of the book is such that it has practical applications on a daily basis but can also be used by the resident as a teaching tool and as a handy source of review for the boards. In addition, it can be used the practicing dermatologist to study for recertification. The scope of the book is immunology, immunogenetics, immunopathology and immunopharmacology as they relate to clinical dermatology.

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.

Immunodermatology is a field covering the majority of skin diseases, including the most prevalent onesin the general population. The Second Edition of Skin Immune System (SIS) discusses immune-mediated skin diseases and disease groups in which the SIS plays a role. It covers major findings in immunophysiology and immunopathology that have occurred since the introduction of the First Edition in 1990. As the subtitle indicates, the Second Edition adds a new emphasis on cutaneous immunology, and also includes new information on immune-based therapeutic interventions and methods, such as phototherapy and the immunological therapy of skin cancer. The book contains Part I, with introductory chapters; Part II, with descriptions of the cellular elements; and Part III, which describes the humoral and molecular components of SIS. Part IV follows to integrate the facts described in Parts II and III into concepts of pathophysiology. It contains a number of concepts entitled "response patterns" that describe how the constitutional elements of SIS work together. New in this edition are the descriptions of immunodermatological diseases individually described in Part V. Part VI is also all new and summarizes principles of immunotherapy.