Compliments to the book on complement: The Human Complement System in Health and Disease edited by J.E. Colanakis and M.M. Frank

Abstract

Marcel Dekker, 1998. Hardback US$225.00 (ix+656 pages)ISBN 0 8247 9898 8The Human Complement System in Health and Disease is a comprehensive and authoritative reference book that deals with all aspects of the complement system. It contains up-to-date reviews on a broad range of topics, from the very basics of complement genetics and phylogeny to the pathophysiological role of complement proteins in the development of human disease. The book is written by well-respected experts in the field of complement biology (over 40 in total) and covers areas of research in which they are pre-eminent.It is presented in a logical and accessible manner, features that are important in a book that will largely serve as a reference text. The first section deals with complement genetics and protein biochemistry. The gene structure, control of gene expression, protein structure and the chemistry of ligand interaction and enzymatic activity of complement are all included in this section. This establishes a platform of the basic biological principles of the complement system from which the subsequent, more applied, sections are developed.The second section deals with the biology of the complement system and the role it plays in generating the normal immune response. This is probably the area of complement research in which our understanding of complement biology has increased most rapidly, and many of the most recent developments are included in this book. The complement system, either through cellular receptors or the activity of the membrane attack complex, affects many cell types, not only those of the immune system. Individual chapters deal with the activity of the anaphylotoxins, the interaction with phagocytes and the augmentation of the antibody response, as well as the interactions between complement and pathogens.The final section details how the complement system might be involved in the pathogenesis of human disease. It is clear that, in many human diseases, either the absence of complement, as in the deficiency states, or the excessive activation of complement can lead to tissue injury. The role of complement in mediating tissue injury is discussed in a diversity of diseases, from demyelinating disease of the central nervous system to glomerulonephritis.Generally, the book appears to be aimed at researchers within the field of complement biology, but it will also be invaluable to students who wish to expand upon this aspect of the immune system. Each chapter is extensively referenced, and many chapters contain over 200 references. This provides the reader with an up-to-date bibliography of all the major work within each field.As it becomes apparent that the effects of complement contribute to disease in many systems, including, for example, dermatology, neurology and nephrology, this book will be useful for clinicians who are interested in the pathophysiology of a variety of immunological diseases. Relevant to this is a discussion of the mechanisms by which we can intervene therapeutically to manipulate the complement system to alter disease progression. However, some of the sections might be difficult for those readers who do not already possess some knowledge of the complement system. This is not a book for a reader who is new to this field. The book might, therefore, limit itself to a more specialized readership. Other more specialized texts exist in this field, but they lack the advantage of The Human Complement System in Health and Disease in that all of the topics are covered within one volume.Although the Internet is a potential source of information on the complement system, currently this information is quite fragmented and can be found within general immunology sites. The Web site of the International Complement Workshop, the major forum for complement research (www.complement.org) is a useful source of information.The authors have provided an excellent reference textbook that will no doubt be useful to workers within both basic and applied complement research. I would recommend this book to scientists and clinicians who want to expand their knowledge of the role of the complement system in disease.