Antibodies: Their structure and function

Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology , 10 (1985) 391--392 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., A m s t e r d a m -- Printed in The Netherlands

391

Book review

A N I ' I I ~ D I ~ S : T I ~ I R STRUCTOR.~ AND YUNCTION

Antibodies: Editors:

Their structure and function. M.W. Steward. General

W.J.

Brammar

1984. 96 pp., £ 3.25.

and M.

Edidin.

Chapman

The book is primarily written as a guidebook science his

to gain some familiarity

discipline".

entitled:

A

short

"Isolation General

interaction",

"Structure

is

purification

structure and

of

York,

research at the frontiers of

followed

of

by

5 further

immunoglobulins

biological

activities

chapters

and

specific

"Antibody-antigen

of

the

immunoglobulin

and "The control of antibody production".

A reader,

who is not familiar

on immunoglobulins for a general

with

and related

orientation.

style without being superficial.

immunology,

subjects,

up-to-date

production

information

of

monoclonal

immunoglobulins

and

will

this leads

find

in

devotes

a

nearly

a

book

third

This on the other hand

like

of

the

this,

with

know

regard

to the

characteristics

Particularly

detailed

data

of are

have been and are studied.

of information for

contents

guarantees

instance

physicochemical

immunogenetics.

to the presentation

little

find data they already

for

given on the method by which immunoglobulins Sometimes

find much information

even more than is needed

details.

is presented antibodies,

some

will

probably

Immunologists

plus possibly some unknown interesting

to

London/New

immunoglobulins",

Each chapter is written in a condensed

Much

Hall,

for "the student of biological

with current

introduction

and

antibodies",

classes"

and

ISBN 0-412-25640-1.

instance

one hardly expects

where

Prof.

to antibody-antlgen

an interesting

tour along

Steward

interaction. the different

aspects of this subject. The

order

in

structure

which

and function"

describes

the the

general

structure

structure

of different

immunoglobullns of

are

discussed

not always logical.

isolation

whereas

After

subjects

in

is

"Antibodies:

For instance,

immunoglobulin

themselves

immunoglobulins

is

are

described

the author

isotypes

treated in

Their

in

first

(chapter

chapter

chapter

3

2),

5.

The

and

the

of each isotype again in chapter 5.

reading a book like this it is always fairly easy to sum up some more

or less relevant opinion cellular

is

subjects

which are not or hardly discussed.

that at least a small chapter

events

related

to

the

induction

The reviewers

could have been included of

humoral

immune

on the

responses.

392

Without

an introduction

into these aspects

of the immune

not familiar with immunology willj for instancejnot of various cell populations in relation immunoglobulin

isotypes.

find so much valuable In their foreword "a

foundation

for

results".

The

subjects,

together

to biological

the editors selfhelp and

on antibodies

express

properties

of certain

the

in such a small book.

the hope that this book will provide

in the achievement skill

of

the

with many clear illustrations

will almost certainly

the relevance

Apart from this minor criticism it will be hard to

information

expertise

responsej readers

understand

provide a promising

of successful author

in

and nearly

examination

discussing

his

150 reference~

start.

B.A. Bokhout Head Dep. Immunology Central Veterinary

Institute

Lelystad The Netherlands

Announcements

Ist INTERNATIONAL

CONFERENCE ON LYMPHOCYTE ACTIVATION AND IMMUNE REGULATION

Dates: 28 February - 2 March 1986 Place: California, U.S.A. Info.: Conference Secretariat, Division of Basic and Clinical Immunology, C246A, Medical Science I, University of California, Irvine, CA 92717, U.S.A. IMMUNOLOGICAL ADJUVANTS MICROBIAL INFECTIONS

AND MODULATORS

OF NON-SPECIFIC

RESISTANCE

TO

Dates: 30 June - 3 July 1986 Place: Columbia, U.S.A. Info.: Dr. Sherwood Reichard, Meeting Coordinator, Reticuloendothelial Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA 30912, U.S.A. 3rd INTERNATIONAL

CONGRESS OF REPRODUCTIVE

Society,

IMMUNOLOGY

Dates: I-5 July 1986 Place: Toronto, Canada Info.: Dr. David A. Clark, Chairman Local Organising Corm~ittee, 3rd International Congress of Reproductive Immunology, 3V39 McMaster University,1200 Main Street West, Hamilton,Ont. L8N 3Z5, Canada THE Ist INTERNATIONAL

VETERINARY

IMMUNOLOGY

SYMPOSIUM

Dates: 2-4 July 1986 Place: Guelph, Ont., Canada Info.: Dr. Bruce N. Wilkie, Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Imm~unology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ont. NIG 2WI, Canada