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Introductory Immunology,

Edition 3 Basic Concepts for Interdisciplinary Applications

Editors: By Jeffrey K. Actor

Publication Date: 06 Feb 2023

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Selected for Doody’s Core Titles® 2024 in Immunology

Introductory Immunology: Basic Concepts for Interdisciplinary Applications, 3rd Edition, is a completely updated, revised, and expanded concise, conceptual approach to understanding the immune systems as a primary defense to maintain health and homeostasis. This expanded version includes the aspects of microbiology and related immune defense mechanisms important in combating disease, as well critical components related to the field of vaccine development.

Immunology as a subject is no longer confined to the realms of "immunology" or "microbiology" studies. Indeed, the subject matter has become increasingly important to understand complex mechanisms found within a wider range of biological systems. This book aims specifically at educated audiences who do not have a deep understanding of medical, biochemical, or cellular knowledge. The overall text will present concepts that portray a comprehensive picture of the natural defenses to infectious agents as well as provide an introduction to mechanisms that lead to autoimmune dysfunction. In addition, immunological diseases will be detailed, with the goal of allowing the readers to gain sufficient knowledge to make sound choices for clinical decisions to affect treatment outcomes.

This new edition expands on the existing chapters, focusing on updating the previous text. It has been expanded to include knowledge on effector mechanisms addressing components inherent within cellular responses that are either newly discovered, or missing from the previous edition. It has an extra emphasis on aspects related to mechanisms important in combating microbial agents and critical sections on how vaccines protect against pathogenic invaders to limit associated pathology.

The goal is that Introductory Immunology will become the preferred provider of core knowledge in immunology to build a foundation to explore components of the human immune system that work together to confer and understand dysregulation that causes clinical diseases. This book serves as a basic platform to define therapeutic interventions by:

creating appreciation for components of the human immune system to work together to confer lifelong protection;

providing a core knowledge in immunology to build a foundation to explore mechanisms involved in clinical disease, and defining functional aspects of immunological terms to permit the reader easy access to comprehend specific topics;

presenting introduction to complex immunological concepts in a concise and easy manner that relates to clinical disease;

breaking down all of immunology into manageable, logically digestible building blocks, and providing a map to explore overlapping mechanisms of immune protective responses;

providing a platform to readers without medical, biochemical, or cellular expertise to understand and appreciate how immunology controls homeostasis and protects against pathogens.

Key Features

Creating appreciation for components of the human immune system to work together to confer lifelong protection
Provides a core knowledge in immunology to build a foundation to explore mechanisms involved in clinical disease, and defining functional aspects of immunological terms to permit the reader easy access to comprehend specific topics
Presenting introduction to complex immunological concepts in a concise and easy manner that relates to clinical disease
Breaking down all of immunology into manageable, logically digestible building blocks, and providing a map to explore overlapping mechanisms of immune protective responses
providing a platform to readers without medical, biochemical, or cellular expertise to understand and appreciate how immunology controls homeostasis and protects against pathogens

About the author

By Jeffrey K. Actor, PhD Molecular and Cellular Biology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas-Houston McGovern Medical School, TX, USA

Preface
Acknowledgments

1. A functional overview of the immune system and components
Chapter focus
Immune homeostasis
Self versus nonself
Innate and adaptive immunity
Anatomy of the immune system
Cells of the immune system
First-line defenders: the myeloid cells
Adaptive avengers: the lymphoid cells
Lymphocytes
Cluster of differentiation
Summary

2. The inflammatory response
Chapter focus
Inflammation
Initiation of the inflammatory response
The role of antibodies in inflammation
Biological functions of complement
Activation and directed migration of leukocytes
Pathogen recognition and cytokine signaling
Feedback and adaptation from a distance
Pathological consequences of the inflammatory Response
Summary

3. The B lymphocyte: antibodies and how they function
Chapter focus
B lymphocytes produce antibodies
Structural characteristics of immunoglobulins
Immunoglobulin nomenclature
Biologic properties of antibody isotypes
IgD
IgM
IgG
IgA
IgE
Kinetics of antibody response
Membrane-bound immunoglobulin
Development of B cells
Antibody gene recombination
Development and selection of mature B cells
Activation and differentiation of B cells
Summary

4. T lymphocytes: ringleaders of adaptive immune function
Chapter focus
T lymphocytes: specific and long-lasting immunity
The T cell receptor
T-cell development
Antigen recognition by T cells: requirement of major histocompatibility molecules
The HLA locus
MHC class I
MHC class II
T lymphocyte functions
CD4 1 T-helper cells
Events involved in T lymphocyte activation
Role of T cells in B-cell activation
Cytotoxic T-cell effectors
CD8 1 T cells
Other lymphocyte phenotypes
¿d T cells
Innate lymphocytes
Natural killer T (NKT) cells
Superantigens
Summary

5. How we defend against infectious agents
Chapter focus
Immune homeostasis and pathogenic organisms
Major immune defense mechanisms against pathogens
Physical barriers to infection
Anatomic barrier
Physiological barrier
Phagocytic and endocytic barriers
Inflammatory barriers
Bacterial infections
Microbial motifs detected through pattern-recognition receptors
Mycobacterial infections
Viral infections
Human immunodeficiency virus
Parasitic infections (helminths)
Fungal infections
Evasion of immune response
Summary

6. Basic disorders of immune function
Chapter focus
Immunodeficiency disorders
Genetic basis for primary immunodeficiency
Innate deficiencies
Chronic granulomatous disease/myeloperoxidase deficiency
Leukocyte adhesion deficiency
ChediakComplement disorders
Innate pattern-recognition receptor disorders
Adaptive immune disorders
X-linked agammaglobulinemia
Selective immunoglobulin A deficiency
Common variable immunodeficiency
Hyper immunoglobulin M disorders
DiGeorge syndrome
WiskottSevere combined immunodeficiency
Treatment of immunodeficiency diseases
Immunodeficiency as a predisposition to disease
Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
Summary

7. Autoimmunity: regulation of response to self
Chapter focus
Homeostasis, immune regulation, and autoimmunity
Tolerance to self
Etiology of autoimmune disease
Role of autoantibodies and self-reactive T lymphocytes in autoimmune disorders
Laboratory tests for autoimmunity
Targeted therapeutics
Summary

8. Immune hypersensitivities
Chapter focus
Hypersensitive disorders
Type I hypersensitivity: immunoglobulin EType II hypersensitivity: antibody-mediated cytotoxic hypersensitivity
Type III hypersensitivity: immune complex-mediated hypersensitivity
Type IV hypersensitivity: delayed-type (cell-mediated) hypersensitivity
Alternative hypersensitivity classifications
Summary

9. Vaccines and immunotherapy
Chapter focus
Principles of vaccination
Basic concepts of protective immunization
Types of immunizations
Age and timing of immunizations
Vaccine types and components
Immunologic adjuvants
Passive immunization
Therapeutic uses of immunoglobulins
Other ways to modify immunity
Summary

10. Cancer immunology
Chapter focus
Understanding immune defenses against cancers
Tumor antigens
Effector mechanisms in tumor immunity
Natural killer cells and innate response to tumor cells
Adaptive response to tumor cells
Escape mechanisms of tumor elimination
Tumors of the immune system
Immunodiagnosis and immunotherapy
Summary

11. Transplantation immunology
Chapter focus
Transplantation defined
Tissue histocompatibility
Natural isohemagglutinins
Human leukocyte antigens
Allograft rejection
Hyperacute rejection
Accelerated rejection
Acute rejection
Chronic rejection
Graft-versus-host disease
Pretransplantation histocompatibility evaluation
Immunosuppressive drugs to prevent allograft rejection
Immunosuppressive therapy
Summary

12. Assessment of immune parameters and immunodiagnostics
Chapter focus
AntibodyAffinity
Secondary manifestations of antibodySolid-phase precipitation assays
Radial immunodiffusion
The Ouchterlony assay
Immunoelectrophoresis
Latex agglutination
Lateral flow
Western blot
Immunoassays
Enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay
Detection of cellular antigens
Immunohistochemistry
Fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis
Multiplex bead arrays
Assays to determine immune function
Complement fixation test
Phagocyte function assays
Lymphocyte function assays
Other tools to measure immunological status
Monoclonal antibodies
Microarrays
Summary
Glossary
Index

Title Reviews

“…covers all aspects of the immune system, their roles and interactions in both normal and disease states, and diagnostic tools used in various clinical settings…. The book’s purpose is to give an overview of the immune system, dissect the limbs of the immune system, and then elucidate their role in health and disease states....It thoroughly explains how the immune system differentiates between self and foreign pathogens,...written for a broad audience including students, physicians in training, clinical practitioners, and laboratory professionals…. As a primer for the various aspects of the immune system, this book has a number of features that make it not only readable, but very concisely instructive....an excellent primer and review for the field of immunology, particularly for medical and graduate students,...an excellent synopsis of the immune system and is a 'must read' for all students of human disease, the immune system, and infectious diseases,...potentially the best required reading on the subject."©Doody's Review Service, 2025, Arnold Serota, MD (Private Practice) Doody's Score: 96, 4 Stars!

ISBN: 9780443153075

Page Count: 224

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Researchers, clinicians, clinical investigators, pathologists, medical students, and graduate students in the biomedical sciences, as well as basic scientists in such fields as immunology, rheumatology, genetics, cell biology and microbiology

Introductory Immunology,

Editors: By Jeffrey K. Actor

Key Features

About the author

Title Reviews

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