Neuroimmune Circuits, Drugs of Abuse, and Infectious Diseases

Neuroimmune Circuits, Drugs of Abuse, and Infectious Diseases
by Herman Friedman (Editor), Thomas W. Klein (Editor), John J. Madden (Editor)

Product Details
* Hardcover: 310 pages
* Publisher: Springer; 1 edition (November 30, 2001)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0306464667

Book Description
This volume focuses on the relationship between the nervous and the immune system with regard to the effects of drugs of abuse and infections, including infection caused by the immunodeficiency virus which causes AIDS, the number one health problem worldwide. Chapters focus on the brain-immune axis, detailing the effects of drugs of abuse. It is well known that recreational drugs of abuse such as morphine, cocaine, and marijuana, as well as other drugs, including the legal drugs alcohol and nicotine, are used by large numbers of individuals. Serious concerns have been raised about the consequences of using such drugs, especially in relation to their effects on normal physiological responses, including immune mechanisms. It is now widely recognized not only that many drugs of abuse have serious consequences on normal parameters of neurologic and neuroendocrine systems in general but also that effects on those systems, in turn, may affect indirectly immunity and also directly affect immune systems. Much data has now been accumulated showing that drugs of abuse markedly alter the immune response in human populations as well as in experimental animals, both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, studies on microbial infections have shown that many drugs of abuse are associated with increased susceptibility to infectious diseases, especially opportunistic intracellular microorganisms, including viruses such as HIV which causes AIDS. The mechanisms whereby drugs of abuse increase the likelihood of infections by opportunistic microorganisms in humans as well as in experimental animals are delineated. This volume will further the understanding of the impact of drugs of abuse on the brain-immune axis and its relationship to immunomodulation and infection, especially that caused by the AIDS virus.

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Genes and Proteins Underlying Microbial Urinary Tract Virulence

Genes and Proteins Underlying Microbial Urinary Tract Virulence - Basic Aspects and Applications
by Levente Emody (Editor), Tibor Pál (Editor), Gabriele Blum-Oehler (Editor), Jörg H. Hacker (Editor)

Product Details:
* Hardcover: 382 pages
* Publisher: Springer; 1 edition (October 2000)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0306464551

Book Description
Proceedings of the FEMS Symposium on Genes and Proteins Underlying Microbial Urinary Tract Virulence: Basic Aspects and Applications, held September 16-19, 1999, in Pécs, Hungary.
Urinary tract infections are among the most frequent diseases caused by microbial pathogens. In this volume, researchers, clinical microbiologists and clinicians exchange the latest ideas covering four major aspects of this important topic:
* Genetic information, synthesis and assembly of virulence factors in urinary pathogens;
* Regulation of genes involved in the phenotypic appearance of virulence;
* Host-parasite interactions determining the process and outcome of the infection;
* Possible applications of the above aspects in diagnosis, therapy and prevention.

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Cellular Peptidases in Immune Functions and Diseases 2

Cellular Peptidases in Immune Functions and Diseases 2 (Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology)
by Jürgen Langner (Editor), Siegfried Ansorge (Editor)

Product Details:
* Hardcover: 526 pages
* Publisher: Springer; 1 edition (May 31, 2000)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0306463830

Book Description
Of the many special roles played by proteolytic enzymes in immune reactions, this book addresses different aspects of membrane peptidases, signal transduction via ligation of membrane peptidases (especially of dipeptidyl peptidase IV/CD26 and aminopeptidase N/CD13), and regulation of membrane peptidases in vivo and in vitro. A number of newly discovered peptidases (including cathepsin F, W and X, carboxypeptidase X, attractin) are described, with special emphasis given to the role of peptidases in immune and defense reactions and in the pathogenesis of inflammatory and other diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, pancreatitis, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and tumours of various origins. The focus on the involvement of a selection of proteolytic enzymes in immune reactions and diseases is a unique feature of this multifaceted work , which combines biochemical, immunological and clinical research reports with literary reviews of the field.

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