Drug-Induced Immune Diseases

Toxicology

Letters,

353

57 (1991) 353

@ 1991 Elsevier Science Publishers

B.V. 0378-4274/91/S

3.50

ADONIS037842749100114A TOXLET

02614

Book review Drug-Induced

Immune Diseases by Jacques Descotes, 222 pp. Price: Dfl. 265.00. ISBN O-444-8 13088-X.

Elsevier,

Amsterdam,

1990,

Clinical immunotoxicology is an emerging subdiscipline of immunotoxicology and Descotes’ book proves to be a valuable introduction to this new field. The author focuses on drug-related immunotoxicity. This has become a significant problem, with the increasing consumption of pharmaceutical drugs over the last 20 years, and concomitant reports of adverse immunological effects, namely hypersensitivity reactions and disorders related to immune dysfunction such as autoimmune disease. This book reviews the literature regarding the effect of drugs on immune function emphasizing the clinical significance of drug-related immunotoxicity. The text is divided into two parts. Part I entitled ‘Clinical Patterns, Mechanisms and Diagnosis’ is comprised of three chapters. In the first chapter, the author gives an overview of the immunotoxic side-effects of drugs and defines the clinically significant effects as either causing immune dysfunction (suppression, enhancement or dysregulation) or hypersensitivity and describes a few drugs that have been withdrawn from the market because of their immunotoxic effects. Chapter 2 reviews the clinical relevance of drug-induced immune toxicity and gives examples of the clinical consequences of immune suppression, enhancement and dysregulation (autoimmunity) and hypersensitivity reactions. Chapter 3 turns to a brief discussion of the mechanisms and diagnosis of these disorders. Part II, ‘Individual Agents’ (13 chapters), focuses a chapter to each of the following agents: anesthetics sics/antirheumatics; anticonvulsants; antihistamines;

on specific drugs and devotes and muscle relaxants; analgeantihypertensive agents; anti-

thrombotic agents; antiarrhythmics; hormones; immunomodulators and vaccines; immunosuppressants; antimicrobial agents; psychopharmacological agents; and others. Each chapter contains a wealth of information from a general description of each drug class to specific examples of the drug and the immunotoxic consequences. This is an excellent compilation of examples of drug-related immunotoxicology. The material is well organized and most chapters cite approximately ences. This is, indeed, a valuable reference for the immunotoxicologist.

lo&200

refer-

MARY LOCNISKAR Department of Human Ecology The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX 78712-1097 U.S.A.