Current Perspectives in Allergy

Abstract

British physicians coined the term hay fever, pioneered the original concepts of allergy, and forged the foundations of treatment. Comparatively recently, their American counterparts rivaled these achievements, especially in the laboratory and field of technology. This book, the collaborative effort of British and American scientists, encompasses the best of both worlds—tradition, theory, and practice—each complementing the other. In clear, explicit, and easily read prose, the authors describe and explain the interactions of the various components of immediate and delayed hypersensitivity responses, the role of hypersensitivity reactions in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases, and the pharmacophysiology of β-adrenergic agents and methylaxanthines. The Americans concentrate on the discovery of IgE, the elucidation of the genetic determinants of IgE immune responses, and the identification of new classes of lipid and peptide mediators of immediate hypersensitivity. The British, who have not labored under Food and Drug Administration constraints, record their experiences and clinical trials