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New trends in allergy III
Immunopharmacology, 25 (1993) 189 © 1993 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. All rights reserved 0162-3109/93/$06.00
189
I M P H A R 00627
B o o k Review
Ring, J. and Przybilla, B. (Eds.) New Trends in Allergy III. 575pp. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 1991. Price DM 258. ISBN 3-540-52993-4. New Trends in Allergy III is a collection of papers presented at an international symposium held in Munich in 1990. It is the third such volume to appear within the space of ten years and contains contributions from basic and clinical scientists who enjoy world-wide acclaim for their contributions to research in the field of allergy. A brief and somewhat disappointing section on epidemiology begins the book. No doubt, the three reviews of the epidemiology of allergy provide a good guide to current research in this area but one is left with the impression that much more effort will, in future, have to be directed to this topical and relevant issue. A section on allergies contains three major contributions which, for the non-specialist, give insight into the application of molecular biological techniques for the specific characterization of allergies. No volume on allergy would be complete without consideration of IgE and the section on this topic contains papers on the control of IgE production together with a heterogenous group of papers dealing with, inter alia, CD23 and guinea-pig models. The next section is entitled mast cells and mediator release. As someone who has devoted a significant part of this life to research on mast cells I was pleased but also surprised to see such a large section on this topic. I though people were beginning to reject the mast cell as having a significant role in anything other than some acute allergic reactions. The section contains papers on mast cell differentiation and on the new development of mast cell 'priming' by cytokines. Perhaps this latter subject will rejuvenate interest in mast cells in the context of allergy. The section also
contains two reviews dealing with mast cell activation via neuropeptides and the nervous system. It is a pity mononuclear phagocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils and platelets have been left out. The remaining sections of the book are concerned with clinical and applied research in allergy as opposed to the basic research sections which I have already mentioned. There are sections on atopic eczema, food allergy, drug reactions, hyposensitization, autoimmune diseases, contact dermatitis, mite allergy, environmental pollution and allergy, and finally prophylaxis and therapy. To me, the section on autoimmune diseases seems rather out of context and it contains only four paper: none of which have any immediate relevance to allergy. In the sections I have just listed there are no less than 44 separate papers covering a very heterogenous group of topics. To produce a really good publication from the proceedings of a meeting is very difficult: the meeting needs careful construction and editing of the papers has to be rigorous. Perhaps there are just too many meetings which yield published proceedings for quality to reign over quantity. For whom is this book intended? Certainly not for someone coming new to the field of allergy: it is too narrow in coverage and contains no comprehensive reviews on the growing points in allergy research. The practising clinician with an interest in the scientific basis of allergy will find much worth reading here and the research scientist working on a particular problem connected to allergy will be able to broaden this horizon. On the whole, however, this book cannot be described as exciting and I am left wondering whether allergy research has really developed fast enough to justify three volumes in a decade. John Foreman, Department of Pharmacology, University College London
189
I M P H A R 00627
B o o k Review
Ring, J. and Przybilla, B. (Eds.) New Trends in Allergy III. 575pp. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 1991. Price DM 258. ISBN 3-540-52993-4. New Trends in Allergy III is a collection of papers presented at an international symposium held in Munich in 1990. It is the third such volume to appear within the space of ten years and contains contributions from basic and clinical scientists who enjoy world-wide acclaim for their contributions to research in the field of allergy. A brief and somewhat disappointing section on epidemiology begins the book. No doubt, the three reviews of the epidemiology of allergy provide a good guide to current research in this area but one is left with the impression that much more effort will, in future, have to be directed to this topical and relevant issue. A section on allergies contains three major contributions which, for the non-specialist, give insight into the application of molecular biological techniques for the specific characterization of allergies. No volume on allergy would be complete without consideration of IgE and the section on this topic contains papers on the control of IgE production together with a heterogenous group of papers dealing with, inter alia, CD23 and guinea-pig models. The next section is entitled mast cells and mediator release. As someone who has devoted a significant part of this life to research on mast cells I was pleased but also surprised to see such a large section on this topic. I though people were beginning to reject the mast cell as having a significant role in anything other than some acute allergic reactions. The section contains papers on mast cell differentiation and on the new development of mast cell 'priming' by cytokines. Perhaps this latter subject will rejuvenate interest in mast cells in the context of allergy. The section also
contains two reviews dealing with mast cell activation via neuropeptides and the nervous system. It is a pity mononuclear phagocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils and platelets have been left out. The remaining sections of the book are concerned with clinical and applied research in allergy as opposed to the basic research sections which I have already mentioned. There are sections on atopic eczema, food allergy, drug reactions, hyposensitization, autoimmune diseases, contact dermatitis, mite allergy, environmental pollution and allergy, and finally prophylaxis and therapy. To me, the section on autoimmune diseases seems rather out of context and it contains only four paper: none of which have any immediate relevance to allergy. In the sections I have just listed there are no less than 44 separate papers covering a very heterogenous group of topics. To produce a really good publication from the proceedings of a meeting is very difficult: the meeting needs careful construction and editing of the papers has to be rigorous. Perhaps there are just too many meetings which yield published proceedings for quality to reign over quantity. For whom is this book intended? Certainly not for someone coming new to the field of allergy: it is too narrow in coverage and contains no comprehensive reviews on the growing points in allergy research. The practising clinician with an interest in the scientific basis of allergy will find much worth reading here and the research scientist working on a particular problem connected to allergy will be able to broaden this horizon. On the whole, however, this book cannot be described as exciting and I am left wondering whether allergy research has really developed fast enough to justify three volumes in a decade. John Foreman, Department of Pharmacology, University College London