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“Bible”'s new version
Vaccine 25 (2007) 5441–5442
Book review “Bible”’s new version Manual of Molecular and Clinical Laboratory Immunology, 7th ed., B. Detrick, R.G. Hamilton, J.D. Folds (Eds.). ASM Press, Washington, DC (2006). 1374 pp., illustrated, $179.95, ISBN 1-55581-364-X This book is the new incarnation of Manual of Clinical Laboratory Immunology, which had been edited by Noel R. Rose since its inception in 1976. The present trio of editors have all served in an editorial capacity in at least one previous edition, and have brought a measure of continuity to the current Manual. The amended title is meant to reflect the ever-increasing contribution of molecular biology to the discipline. The Manual has maintained the multi-author format of the previous editions. Based on the field’s development, certain sections contain modest updates whereas others have undergone substantial change. There is an insightful coverage of emerging diagnostic technologies throughout the present volume. Most importantly, there is a particular emphasis on the prospective promise of proteomics, and its potential to identify specific and reliable biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring of human disease. Shortly after the Manual was published, Dr. Detrick co-chaired a symposium on this very subject at the annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists, a further testament to the significance of the topic and of its close scrutiny by the Manual’s editor-in-chief. Overall, the editors have produced an updated authoritative source for diagnostic clinical immunology that continues the tradition of excellence established by its predecessors. Nonetheless, there is certainly room for improvement. As in previous editions, the text fails to specify the clonal identity of the recommended antibodies. Given the availability of more than one monoclonal antibody for numerous molecules, this lack of specificity could lead to a waste of time and resources, and even misinterpretation of data by less experienced laboratories. While different commercially available monoclonal antibodies raised against a specific molecule might perform equally well in staining cells for flow-cytometric analysis, they are not necessarily created equal when it comes to functional assays. The Ca2+ response assay discussed in Chapter 36 is a clear case in point. The assay recommends the use of anti-CD3 to ensure the T cells’ intact signalling capacity, but there is no explicit reference to 0264-410X/$ – see front matter © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2007.05.027
the clone utilised. Both OKT3 and UCHT1 anti-CD3 clones can be used for this purpose. Primary T cells will only mount a Ca2+ response to OKT3 after cross-linking, whereas the response to UCHT1 does not require this step. This is far from an arcane academic distinction as a Ca2+ response induced by cross-linking could mask some of the defects that can be revealed in a response induced without cross-linking. Incidentally, the same protocol recommends culturing PBMC with IL-2-containing media in vitro prior to the assay, an approach that could interfere with the reliable assessment of numerous age-related defects in T cell function. The opening chapter of the Laboratory Management section in the Manual’s 6th edition emphasised that “it is also imperative that today’s laboratorian be aware of the issues of standardization of immunoassay methodologies, quality assurance, statistical quality control, the clinical significance and cost-effectiveness of immunology testing, laboratory accreditation, licensure and credentialing, and the establishment and verification of reference ranges”. One could hardly agree more. It is therefore unfortunate to see that all but the accreditation, licensure and credentialing chapter in this section has been axed in the current edition without any justification being offered. It is hoped that future editions would reverse this surprising decision. In her preface, Dr. Detrick aptly points to the Manual’s appeal to a worldwide audience of diagnostic immunologists. I have personally witnessed the book adorning the shelves of academics on four continents. Inevitably, such global reach brings the editors a higher degree of responsibility. The developing world in general, and sub-Saharan Africa in particular, is suffering under the monumental burden of infectious diseases. Presently, Chapter 35 of the book is in part focused on the evaluation of vaccine efficacy in developing countries, but one should expect more from this Manual. There is a growing awareness that improved diagnostic technologies that could be utilised at low-infrastructure sites might play an important role in easing the developing world’s burden. Although tackling such a challenge would require the concerted efforts and ongoing commitment of many organisations as well as numerous scientists of various disciplines across the academic/commercial divide, devoting a section of the Manual to this issue could go a long way in explaining the state of play and delineating the specifics of what needs to be accomplished, and might hopefully even spur interest in the matter in unexpected quarters.
5442
Book review
Finally, a word on the Manual’s new name. The editors have changed the title to acknowledge “the tremendous impact of molecular biology on the discipline”. However, the pervasive influence of molecular biology is evident across the whole spectrum of biomedicine and not a unique characteristic of clinical laboratory immunology, making the change in title sound redundant and hardly more than a tautology. In this author’s humble opinion the Manual should have had a new title but not the present one. It is customary to rename a seminal book in a discipline after the founding author or editor upon his/her stepping down from editorial duties. Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, Langman’s Medical Embryology, and Topley and Wilson’s Microbiology and Microbial Infections are just a few of many well-known examples. In addition to founding and editing this Manual through six editions, Noel Rose has served in numerous leadership capacities at the American Society for Microbiology, i.e. the Manual’s publisher, over a span of five decades. It would have been apt
to rename the book “Rose’s Manual of Clinical Laboratory Immunology”, an oversight that will hopefully be rectified in the next edition.
Acknowledgement This review was originally prepared at the instigation of Daniel Price from the British Society for Immunology. Amir A. Sadighi Akha ∗ Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States ∗ Tel.:
+1 734 936 2164. E-mail address: [email protected] 10 May 2007 Available online 4 June 2007
Book review “Bible”’s new version Manual of Molecular and Clinical Laboratory Immunology, 7th ed., B. Detrick, R.G. Hamilton, J.D. Folds (Eds.). ASM Press, Washington, DC (2006). 1374 pp., illustrated, $179.95, ISBN 1-55581-364-X This book is the new incarnation of Manual of Clinical Laboratory Immunology, which had been edited by Noel R. Rose since its inception in 1976. The present trio of editors have all served in an editorial capacity in at least one previous edition, and have brought a measure of continuity to the current Manual. The amended title is meant to reflect the ever-increasing contribution of molecular biology to the discipline. The Manual has maintained the multi-author format of the previous editions. Based on the field’s development, certain sections contain modest updates whereas others have undergone substantial change. There is an insightful coverage of emerging diagnostic technologies throughout the present volume. Most importantly, there is a particular emphasis on the prospective promise of proteomics, and its potential to identify specific and reliable biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring of human disease. Shortly after the Manual was published, Dr. Detrick co-chaired a symposium on this very subject at the annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists, a further testament to the significance of the topic and of its close scrutiny by the Manual’s editor-in-chief. Overall, the editors have produced an updated authoritative source for diagnostic clinical immunology that continues the tradition of excellence established by its predecessors. Nonetheless, there is certainly room for improvement. As in previous editions, the text fails to specify the clonal identity of the recommended antibodies. Given the availability of more than one monoclonal antibody for numerous molecules, this lack of specificity could lead to a waste of time and resources, and even misinterpretation of data by less experienced laboratories. While different commercially available monoclonal antibodies raised against a specific molecule might perform equally well in staining cells for flow-cytometric analysis, they are not necessarily created equal when it comes to functional assays. The Ca2+ response assay discussed in Chapter 36 is a clear case in point. The assay recommends the use of anti-CD3 to ensure the T cells’ intact signalling capacity, but there is no explicit reference to 0264-410X/$ – see front matter © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2007.05.027
the clone utilised. Both OKT3 and UCHT1 anti-CD3 clones can be used for this purpose. Primary T cells will only mount a Ca2+ response to OKT3 after cross-linking, whereas the response to UCHT1 does not require this step. This is far from an arcane academic distinction as a Ca2+ response induced by cross-linking could mask some of the defects that can be revealed in a response induced without cross-linking. Incidentally, the same protocol recommends culturing PBMC with IL-2-containing media in vitro prior to the assay, an approach that could interfere with the reliable assessment of numerous age-related defects in T cell function. The opening chapter of the Laboratory Management section in the Manual’s 6th edition emphasised that “it is also imperative that today’s laboratorian be aware of the issues of standardization of immunoassay methodologies, quality assurance, statistical quality control, the clinical significance and cost-effectiveness of immunology testing, laboratory accreditation, licensure and credentialing, and the establishment and verification of reference ranges”. One could hardly agree more. It is therefore unfortunate to see that all but the accreditation, licensure and credentialing chapter in this section has been axed in the current edition without any justification being offered. It is hoped that future editions would reverse this surprising decision. In her preface, Dr. Detrick aptly points to the Manual’s appeal to a worldwide audience of diagnostic immunologists. I have personally witnessed the book adorning the shelves of academics on four continents. Inevitably, such global reach brings the editors a higher degree of responsibility. The developing world in general, and sub-Saharan Africa in particular, is suffering under the monumental burden of infectious diseases. Presently, Chapter 35 of the book is in part focused on the evaluation of vaccine efficacy in developing countries, but one should expect more from this Manual. There is a growing awareness that improved diagnostic technologies that could be utilised at low-infrastructure sites might play an important role in easing the developing world’s burden. Although tackling such a challenge would require the concerted efforts and ongoing commitment of many organisations as well as numerous scientists of various disciplines across the academic/commercial divide, devoting a section of the Manual to this issue could go a long way in explaining the state of play and delineating the specifics of what needs to be accomplished, and might hopefully even spur interest in the matter in unexpected quarters.
5442
Book review
Finally, a word on the Manual’s new name. The editors have changed the title to acknowledge “the tremendous impact of molecular biology on the discipline”. However, the pervasive influence of molecular biology is evident across the whole spectrum of biomedicine and not a unique characteristic of clinical laboratory immunology, making the change in title sound redundant and hardly more than a tautology. In this author’s humble opinion the Manual should have had a new title but not the present one. It is customary to rename a seminal book in a discipline after the founding author or editor upon his/her stepping down from editorial duties. Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, Langman’s Medical Embryology, and Topley and Wilson’s Microbiology and Microbial Infections are just a few of many well-known examples. In addition to founding and editing this Manual through six editions, Noel Rose has served in numerous leadership capacities at the American Society for Microbiology, i.e. the Manual’s publisher, over a span of five decades. It would have been apt
to rename the book “Rose’s Manual of Clinical Laboratory Immunology”, an oversight that will hopefully be rectified in the next edition.
Acknowledgement This review was originally prepared at the instigation of Daniel Price from the British Society for Immunology. Amir A. Sadighi Akha ∗ Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States ∗ Tel.:
+1 734 936 2164. E-mail address: [email protected] 10 May 2007 Available online 4 June 2007