This article is only available in the PDF format. Download the PDF to view the article, as well as its associated figures and tables.
With the introduction of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic into our society, and with advances in the understanding of neoplastic processes as well as organ transplantation, a new appreciation for the complexities of the human immune system has evolved during the past decade. This book, compiled from the proceedings of the 1988 international symposium entitled "Immunodeficiency and Skin" and which is authored mostly by European experts, provides a detailed account of this rapidly expanding subject.
The text is arranged in six sections, each containing several chapters covering topics ranging from historical reviews to independent research. The first, entitled "Skin, an Organ of Host Defense," reviews the skin as an immune organ. The stratum corneum, host defenses, IgA in skin glands, and skin flora related to immune function are discussed in separate chapters. The second section describes clinical signs of immunodeficiency, disorders that arise when the normal response is absent