Immunology at a Glance

Professor John H L Playfair, MB BChir PhD DSc, Emeritus Professor of Immunology, University College London, UK. Professor Benjamin M Chain BA, PhD, FRCPath, Professor of Immunology and Head of Department at the Windeyer Institute of Medical Sciences, University College London, UK.

“This book provides a user-friendly overview of the body’s defence mechanisms.  Ideal for a medical, biomedical or life science course, the text contains a basic overview of both adaptive and innate immunity, applied immunological concepts, and how each body system can be affected by immunity.”  (European Journal of Immunology, 1 December 2012)

• Preface 6Acknowledgements 6Note on the tenth edition 6How to use this book 7Further reading 7List of abbreviations 8Immunity1 The scope of immunology 102 Innate and adaptive immune mechanisms 123 Recognition and receptors: the keys to immunity 144 Cells involved in immunity: the haemopoietic system 16Innate immunity5 Receptors of the innate immune system 186 Complement 207 Acute inflammation 228 Phagocytic cells and the reticuloendothelial system 249 Phagocytosis 26Adaptive immunity(i) The molecular basis10 Evolution of recognition molecules: the immunoglobulin superfamily 2811 The major histocompatibility complex 3012 The T-cell receptor 3213 Antibody diversification and synthesis 3414 Antibody structure and function 36(ii) The cellular basis15 Lymphocytes 3816 Primary lymphoid organs and lymphopoiesis 4017 Secondary lymphoid organs and lymphocyte traffic 42(iii) The adaptive immune response18 Antigen processing and presentation 4419 The antibody response 4620 Antigen – antibody interaction and immune complexes 4821 Cell-mediated immune responses 50(iv) Regulation22 Tolerance 5223 Cell communication and cytokines 5424 The cytokine network 5625 Immunity, hormones and the brain 58Potentially useful immunity26 Antimicrobial immunity: a general scheme 6027 Immunity to viruses 6228 HIV and AIDS 6429 Immunity to bacteria 6630 Immunity to fungi and ectoparasites 6831 Immunity to protozoa 7032 Immunity to worms 72Undesirable effects of immunity33 Immunodeficiency 7434 Harmful immunity: a general scheme 7635 Allergy and anaphylaxis 7836 Immune complexes, complement and disease 8037 Chronic and cell-mediated inflammation 8238 Autoimmune disease 84Altered immunity39 Transplant rejection 8640 Immunosuppression 8841 Immunostimulation and vaccination 90Immunity in health and disease42 Cancer immunology 9243 Immunity and clinical medicine 9444 Investigating immunity 9645 Immunology in the laboratory 9846 Out of the past: evolution of immune mechanisms 10047 Into the future: immunology in the age of genomics 102Self-assessmentSelf-assessment questions 105Answers 107AppendicesAppendix I Comparative sizes and molecular weights 109Appendix II Landmarks in the history of immunology and some unsolved problems 111Appendix III CD classification 113Index 115