The Antigens

The Antigens, Volume VII is a comprehensive treatise covering all aspects of antigens, including their chemistry and biology as well as their immunologic role and expression. Different aspects of the genetic control of the immune response are explored, along with the link between infection and autoimmunity. Comprised of four chapters, this volume begins with a discussion on the determinant-specific genetic regulation of the immune response and the genes that control it. The next chapter deals with the molecular genetics and polymorphism of of class II (Ia) antigens, as well as the correlation between immunogenetic and molecular genetic maps. The antigen-specific T cell clones and the specific factors derived from them are then examined. The last chapter considers the relationship between infection and autoimmunity; the role of infection in the expression of class II antigens; and processes responsible for the induction of autoimmune diseases. A specific therapy for these diseases is described. This monograph will be of interest to practitioners and researchers in immunology, experimental and clinical medicine, biochemistry, and other disciplines.