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Outlines of animal immunobiology
Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, 2 (1981) 299 Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, Amsterdam -- Printed in Belgium
299
Book Review
OUTLINES
OF A N I M A L
IMMUNOBIOLOGY
O u t l i n e s of A n i m a l I m m u n o b i o l o g y . D u n c a n Allan. B a l l i ~ r e Tindall, London, 1980. 160 pp., 52 figs., 1 table, spiral b o u n d £6.95, ISBN 0 - 7 0 2 0 0 7 4 7 - 1 .
On o n l y 160 pages the a u t h o r a t t e m p t s to give an o u t l i n e of the c o m p l e t e m e d i c a l m i c r o b i o l o g y and immunology. In the r e f e r e e ' s v i e w in vain, b e c a u s e this is an i m p o s s i b l e task. The a u t h o r a d r e s s e s h i m s e l f to the u n d e r g r a d u a t e s t u d e n t and the " p r a c t i t i o n e r " who has no time to i n d u l g e in l i t e r a t u r e research. But the u n d e r g r a d u a t e s t u d e n t just has a c q u i r e d solid k n o w l e d g e in chemistry, b i o c h e m i s t r y and p h y s i c s and s h o u l d use it on a m o r e s o p h i s t i c a t e d level. The vet e r i n a r y s u r g e o n on the o t h e r hand is p e r h a p s not so m u c h i n t e r e s t e d in a quite g e n e r a l o u t l i n e of p r i n c i p l e s but e x p e c t s m o r e d e t a i l e d a n s w e r s to his d a i l y problems. T h e r e are 3 m a i n chapters. In the first p a t h o g e n i c m i c r o o r g a n i s m s are d e s c r i b e d i n c l u d i n g genetics, p h y s i o l o g y , p a t h o g e n i c i t y , class i f i c a t i o n etc. In the s e c o n d c h a p t e r the host r e s p o n s e w i t h m e c h a n i s m s of d e f e n s e and i n f l a m m a t i o n is outlined. Part III, w h i c h is the b e s t one, deals w i t h the i m m u n o b i o l o g y of the host. A short t e c h n i c a l a p p e n d i x c o n c l u d e s the b r o c h u r e . Some l i t e r a t u r e is added, a g l o s s a r y and an index. The b o o k l e t is i l l u s t r a t e d w i t h p a r t l y v e r y poor graphics, espec i a l l y in the b a c t e r i o l o g i c a l part. In his t e n d e n c y to b r i n g only m a i n f a c t s ' t h e a u t h o r was not a l w a y s lucky in his selection. It is far m o r e d i f f i c u l t to be v e r y short and c o r r e c t at the same time. T h e r e f o r e some m i s t a k e s crept in, i.e. g r a m n e g a t i v e rods are not "bacilli"} a b a c t e r i a l cell not a p r o t o b l a s t , w h i c h is c o r r e c t l y d e f i n e d later) s t a p h y l o c o c c a l s t r a i n s r e s i s t a n t to penic i l l i n did not b e c o m e so by m u t a t i o n } t r a n s f o r m a t i o n is not a syn o n y m to r e c o m b i n a t i o n ~ in 1980 c o n v e r s i o n and t r a n s p o s o n s s h o u l d not be m i s s e d in a c h a p t e r of genetics} the b a c t e r i a l " c l a s s i f i c a tion" is not at all o f f i c i a l but a list of i n o f f i c i a l d e s i g n a t i o n s ~ IgA is the chief c o l o s t r a l Ig o n l y in h u m a n c o l o s t r u m ; IgGl, IgG 2, IgG 3, IgG 4 are h u m a n I g G - s u b c l a s s e s etc. This b o o k m a y be v a l i d for the t r a i n i n g of t e c h n i c a l l a b o r a t o r y p e r s o n n e l but for an a c a d e m i c e d u c a t i o n its t h r e s h o l d of d i f f e r e n t i a t i o n is too low.
H. FEY (Bern,
Switzerland)
299
Book Review
OUTLINES
OF A N I M A L
IMMUNOBIOLOGY
O u t l i n e s of A n i m a l I m m u n o b i o l o g y . D u n c a n Allan. B a l l i ~ r e Tindall, London, 1980. 160 pp., 52 figs., 1 table, spiral b o u n d £6.95, ISBN 0 - 7 0 2 0 0 7 4 7 - 1 .
On o n l y 160 pages the a u t h o r a t t e m p t s to give an o u t l i n e of the c o m p l e t e m e d i c a l m i c r o b i o l o g y and immunology. In the r e f e r e e ' s v i e w in vain, b e c a u s e this is an i m p o s s i b l e task. The a u t h o r a d r e s s e s h i m s e l f to the u n d e r g r a d u a t e s t u d e n t and the " p r a c t i t i o n e r " who has no time to i n d u l g e in l i t e r a t u r e research. But the u n d e r g r a d u a t e s t u d e n t just has a c q u i r e d solid k n o w l e d g e in chemistry, b i o c h e m i s t r y and p h y s i c s and s h o u l d use it on a m o r e s o p h i s t i c a t e d level. The vet e r i n a r y s u r g e o n on the o t h e r hand is p e r h a p s not so m u c h i n t e r e s t e d in a quite g e n e r a l o u t l i n e of p r i n c i p l e s but e x p e c t s m o r e d e t a i l e d a n s w e r s to his d a i l y problems. T h e r e are 3 m a i n chapters. In the first p a t h o g e n i c m i c r o o r g a n i s m s are d e s c r i b e d i n c l u d i n g genetics, p h y s i o l o g y , p a t h o g e n i c i t y , class i f i c a t i o n etc. In the s e c o n d c h a p t e r the host r e s p o n s e w i t h m e c h a n i s m s of d e f e n s e and i n f l a m m a t i o n is outlined. Part III, w h i c h is the b e s t one, deals w i t h the i m m u n o b i o l o g y of the host. A short t e c h n i c a l a p p e n d i x c o n c l u d e s the b r o c h u r e . Some l i t e r a t u r e is added, a g l o s s a r y and an index. The b o o k l e t is i l l u s t r a t e d w i t h p a r t l y v e r y poor graphics, espec i a l l y in the b a c t e r i o l o g i c a l part. In his t e n d e n c y to b r i n g only m a i n f a c t s ' t h e a u t h o r was not a l w a y s lucky in his selection. It is far m o r e d i f f i c u l t to be v e r y short and c o r r e c t at the same time. T h e r e f o r e some m i s t a k e s crept in, i.e. g r a m n e g a t i v e rods are not "bacilli"} a b a c t e r i a l cell not a p r o t o b l a s t , w h i c h is c o r r e c t l y d e f i n e d later) s t a p h y l o c o c c a l s t r a i n s r e s i s t a n t to penic i l l i n did not b e c o m e so by m u t a t i o n } t r a n s f o r m a t i o n is not a syn o n y m to r e c o m b i n a t i o n ~ in 1980 c o n v e r s i o n and t r a n s p o s o n s s h o u l d not be m i s s e d in a c h a p t e r of genetics} the b a c t e r i a l " c l a s s i f i c a tion" is not at all o f f i c i a l but a list of i n o f f i c i a l d e s i g n a t i o n s ~ IgA is the chief c o l o s t r a l Ig o n l y in h u m a n c o l o s t r u m ; IgGl, IgG 2, IgG 3, IgG 4 are h u m a n I g G - s u b c l a s s e s etc. This b o o k m a y be v a l i d for the t r a i n i n g of t e c h n i c a l l a b o r a t o r y p e r s o n n e l but for an a c a d e m i c e d u c a t i o n its t h r e s h o l d of d i f f e r e n t i a t i o n is too low.
H. FEY (Bern,
Switzerland)