CRC MED IMMU PDF

Preface

Twenty years ago, in 1986, the first edition of Introduction toMedical Immunology was published. I could not have imagined then that 20 years later I would be publishing the sixth edition (for which we adopted a shorter title—Medical Immunology). This is a classic text in a traditional format, ideal for presenting clinically relevant and updated content from the overwhelming flow of information from the primary literature.

As a matter of principle, I have always avoided trendiness in favor of time-tested knowledge for which there is a clear clinical application (or at the very least a clear experimental proof of concept). I believe that this approach is best suited for the education of physicians of the 21st century. The book provides a good balance between basic and clinical science, and should be a valuable addition to the personal book selections of students, young professionals, specialists, and nonspecialists.

This new edition of Medical Immunology has been thoroughly revised and reorganized. I have maintained the emphasis on the clinical application of immunology. The scientific basis of immunology is clearly conveyed without allowing details to obscure concepts. The application to medicine is clearly presented, and the text contains a general and succinct overview, including coverage of important emerging topics. The book should stimulate readers to seek more information and further develop their own education.

The book starts with basic immunology followed by diagnostic immunology. I give special attention to diagnostic immunology because this area has fertile applications and has been the basis for important new knowledge. Part III is dedicated to clinical immunology, and the chapters have been thoroughly revised and updated. The final section on immunodeficiency diseases reflects their extraordinary significance in clinical immunology. The study of primary immune deficiencies gives the best perspective about the intimate works of the human immune system, and secondary immunodeficiencies (including those caused iatrogenically as well as the acquired immune deficiency syndrome) are encountered in virtually all fields of medicine.

I have been lucky in securing authors for this edition who have written excellent chapters for previous editions. I was also able to recruit new authors who bring fresh perspectives to key chapters, such as "Immune Response: Antigens, Lymphocytes and Accessory Cells," "Cell-Mediated Immunity," "Infections and Immunity," "Immunohematology," and "Tumor Immunology." The result is a concise book that conveys our collective intrinsic fascination with a discipline that seeks understanding of fundamental biological knowledge, with the goal of applying that knowledge to the diagnosis and treatment of human diseases. We hope you find this new edition a worthy successor to the previous five editions.