The Antigens

The Antigens, Volume IV is a comprehensive treatise covering all aspects of antigens, including their chemistry and biology as well as their immunologic role and expression. Topics covered range from the immune reactions of lipids and lipid model membranes to the immunology of antibiotics and protective antigens of bacteria. Antigens of pathogenic fungi are also explored, along with adjuvants and antigenic competition. Comprised of seven chapters, this volume begins with a review of lipids as antigens, followed by a discussion on the immunological aspects of antibiotics. The next two chapters are concerned with more complex antigens, namely, bacteria and fungi, as well as the relationship between immunity and infection. The last three chapters deal with three important areas of immunology: antigenic competition, adjuvants, and lectins. In particular, the chemistry of lectins and their application to immunology are examined. This monograph will be of interest to practitioners and researchers in immunology, experimental and clinical medicine, biochemistry, and other disciplines.