There is no doubt among experts that the prevalence of allergic diseases has increased in many industrialized countries in recent years. The rea sons for this increase are unknown; only suppositions exist. Many people focus on environmental influences. However, the assumption that air pollution alone is responsible for this increase seems to be too simple: many other influences, including the genetic predisposition of individual patients, allergen exposure, and possibly socioeconomic factors, also have to be taken into consideration. Although our understanding of the complex mechanisms of allergic diseases has considerably improved thanks to the progress made in ex perimental immunology and allergology, we still have a long way to go before this scientific knowledge is translated into new therapeutic mo dalities. For this reason, the scientific community welcomed the gathering of scientists from very different disciplines and different parts of the world at an international symposium, "New Trends in Allergy IV" together with "Environmental Allergy and Allergotoxicology III" in Hamburg in 1995. This volume contains the invited papers, covering a wide range from basic science to practical clinical diagnosis and therapy. A further unique feature of this event was the concomitant first official workshop of the Environmental Pollution and Allergy Committee of the International Association of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (IAACI), at which the state of scientific knowledge in this field was defined and formulated.

Allergy is one of the major health problems of most modern societies. Although allergic diseases are well-known for almost two hundred years, their prevalence has increased dramatically over the last decades. Allergic reactions manifest in various organs, most commonly in the skin and mucous membranes, the frontier surfaces where the contact between the individual and the environment takes place. In a very concise and practical way this book covers all aspects of allergic reactions from pathophysiology to diagnosis, therapy and prevention with a strong focus on relevant aspects for the everyday work of the practising dermatologist and allergist in the hospital or office. This book reflects the rich personal experience of a German allergist with international training and reputation, who is active in immunology and allergy research and practice for almost 30 years. In this book, not only IgE-mediated allergic reactions are covered but all other kinds of allergies such as atopic eczema, contact dermatitis, drug eruptions, anaphylaxis and food allergies are equally represented as well as psychosomatic aspects and problems of environmental intolerances.

From the first to the third of August, 1980, an international sym posium entitled "New Trends in Allergy" was held in Munich, sponsored by the Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, in cooperation with the German Society for Allergy and Immunity Research and the European Society for Dermatological Research. The symposium pursued two main goals: to bring allergy oriented colleagues from various specialties such as dermatology, otorhinolaryngology, pediatrics, internal medicine, immunology, and pulmonology together for interdisciplinary contacts and dis cussions; and to attract internationally known experts in an effort to disseminate information on new and fundamental develop ments in allergology. The fact that English has become the lingua franca at congresses for the exchange of ideas in medical specialties led to the decision to hold the symposium in English. In spite of the mild handicap this posed for some participants, it was also a major factor in the symposium's success. This book contains the papers delivered by the invited speakers together with the poster presentations. They cover both basic ex perimental research as well as clinical problems in allergology.

New Trends in Allergy V' is the fifth volume of a series focussing on new trends in experimental and clinical allergology. The interdisciplinary character is documented by articles from such different fields as basic immunology, chemistry, molecular biology, pharmacology, epidemiology, pneumology, dermatology, otolaryngology, pediatrics and psychosomatic medicine. Special emphasis is given to the role of both anthropogenic (pollutants) as well as natural environmental factors in the development of allergy. Among new pathophysiological concepts, dendritic cells, lymphocyte interactions, mast cells, eosinophils and neutrophils as well as psycho-neuro-immunological influences are featured. Practical aspects focus on asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis, atopic eczema, occupational and food allergy as well as anaphylaxis. The most recent therapeutic strategies comprise novel pharmacotherapy and allergen-specific as well as unspecific (e. g. anti-IgE) immunotherapy.

First multi-year cumulation covers six years: 1965-70.

State-of-the-art review on atopic eczema, one of the most common skin diseases today. This multi-authored handbook covers all aspects relevant for physicians from various disciplines.

The two major subsets of CD4+ helper T cells, designated Th1 and Th2, have quite different patterns of cytokine production and, as a consequence, have very different roles in immune responses. The articles in this volume review both basic and clinical studies of T cell heterogeneity, including: the mechanisms by which Th1 and Th2 cells develop and maintain their differences in cytokine production; the different roles of Th1 and Th2 cells in allergy, autoimmunity and infectious diseases; the prospects and strategies for therapeutic manipulation of Th1 and Th2 cells; and the control of Th1 and Th2 responses by regulatory T cell subsets. The volume should give the reader a view of the development and function of Th1 and Th2 cells and the attempts to treat immunological diseases with therapies directed towards altering the Th1/Th2 balance.