Book Review: Immunology of Parasitic Infections

Abstract

eds., Immunology of Parasitic Infections, 848 pp., 2nd ed. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, 1982. $99.50 (U.S.).The present book is a revised and rewritten edition of the 1976 edition but follows the same general format. The book is concerned primarily with immunology of human parasitic diseases, however, the use of experimental animals is discussed as are some of the important zoonoses such as giardiasis, toxoplasmosis, babesiosis, and some of the helminthiases. Other parasites that are of primary interest to veterinarians such as ascarids, cestodes and Fasciola spp also are included.Thirty-two authors have contributed to the book, which is divided into three sections. The first contains six chapters concerned with the immune response to parasitic infections.Of special interest to pathologists is the chapter by K.S. Warren on Mechanisms of Immunopathology in Parasitic Infections. Although only 22 pages are included in the chapter, an adequate assessment of the problem is made. Much of the information on immunopathology is about leishmaniasis and schistosomiasis.The second section of the book deals with immunity, immunopathology and immunodiagnosis of parasitic infections of man and domestic animals. In the 596 pages of this section of the book, I76 are devoted to trypanosomiasis and schistosomiasis-which are currently fertile fields for immunoparasitologic research. Specific sections on immunopathology are in the chapters on African and American trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, malaria, babesiosis, schistosomiasis, filariasis, trichinelliasis and cestodiasis.The section on the immune response to nematodes is brief considering the large number of species of nematodes. Only two pages contain information on arrested development with just 3% pages on visceral and ocular toxocariasis.The third section of the book contains information on life cycles and ecology of parasites. The information presented is brief but provides a review of the present knowledge of major groups and individual parasites. The last part ofthis section asks "What can the immunologist do to help control helminthic disease?" Vector control and chemotherapy have done little to control parasitic diseases on a global basis. Parasitic diseases still affect a major portion of the world population. The editors note that in the eight years between the first and second editions of the book, some diseases such as malaria have increased-so has the field of immunoparasitology.