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.

Top scientific authors contribute their expertise and put a wealth of complex information into perspective in Skin Immune System: Cutaneous Immunology & Clinical Immunodermatology, Third Edition. This edition provides an overview of the skin immune system (SIS), a totally updated section on immunodermatological diseases, and six new chapters. Part I presents historical and comparative information on immunodermatology and includes a new chapter on the immunogenetics of inflammatory skin disease, while Part II covers the cellular elements of SIS and highlights newly defined functional subclasse.

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.

Allergic skin diseases belong to the most common dermatoses. This book deals with fundamental (in particular immunological aspects) as well as clinical symptoms and therapeutic strategies of the allergic skin diseases. Cells involved in the pathomechanisms of allergic skin disease are described in individual chapters. The allergic skin diseases which will be discussed are atopic dermatitis, being the chronic inflammatory skin disease with the highest prevalence, allergic contact dermatitis with special focus on contact dermatitis from cosmetics, being the most frequent cause of contact dermatitis and occupational contact dermatitis. The broad ethiology of urticaria and the value of several therapeutic strategies will be explained. The chapter on drug allergy will deal with the variety of symptoms and the difficulties concerning in vitro and in vivo diagnosis. The book is of great interest to clinicians working in the field of dermatology, allergology, pediatrics and even general practitioners...

Organ transplantation has been performed for almost 40 years with steadily increasing success regarding long-time survival of the graft, as well as quality of life for the patient. However, graft tolerance only can be achieved via induction and maintenance of an impaired immunological surveillance. An increase of skin cancers as a consequence of the lowered cellular immunoresponse seems to parallel the overall increased long-time survival rate of organ transplant recipients. Against the background of chronic immunosuppression known risk factors like the amount of sun exposure prior and post transplantation, oncogenic viruses as well as the genetic background, and place of residence (latitude) are strongly related with the increased skin cancer incidence. The increasing incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer, paralleling a prolonged survival of patients after organ transplantation, represents a significant reason for morbidity and long-term morbidity in organ transplant recipients worldwide. The incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer in liver-, kidney- and heart transplant recipients varies from 1.5 to 22 %, 2 to 24 % and 6 to 34 % after 5 years post transplant. Ultraviolet radiation as well as immunosuppressive therapy are crucial risk-factors regarding the induction and progression of skin cancer. Ultraviolet radiation is related to the induction of DNA damage, as well as interference with Langerhans cell antigen presentation and a Th1 – Th2 shift induced via a release of IL-10. Whereas the overall duration of immunosuppression and the cumulative dosage applied are relevant parameters in the evaluation of an increased tumor risk, individual differences between specific immunosuppressive agents remain unclear. The workup of genetic as well as other unclear phenomenon like the reverse BCC/SCC ratio might shed some further light into the genesis and immunology of the non-melanoma skin cancer in general.

This book presents the evidence for the belief that psoriasis is a disease of abnormal keratinocyte proliferation induced by T cells. The latest approaches to investigating the immunopathogenesis of this disease, and a review of previous findings, are presented to give an overall picture of the current knowledge in this field. Each topic is discussed in detail, clearly illustrated and well referenced. The book should prove invaluable to clinical dermatologists, and researchers in the fields of immunology and dermatology who have an interest in skin diseases.