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This book presents the latest findings in the field of investigation of molecular mechanisms of mechanical stretch and the role of cytokines in response of different tissues to it. On the one hand this Volume demonstrates how mechanical stretch enhances cytokines production. It describes how cytokines influence tissues and cells on a background of a mechanical stretching. It provides a description of how cells in different tissues are activated by stretch and cytokines via various signaling pathways, and how they change their gene expression. The book is a unique collection of reviews outlining current knowledge and future developments in this rapidly growing field. Knowledge of biomechanics, and mechanisms which underlie it on molecular, cellular and tissue, is necessary for understanding of the normal functioning of living organisms and allows to predict changes, which arise due to alterations of their environment.

An involvement of the immune system is suspected in various cardiovascular diseases. Recent advances in the fields of molecular biology, genetics, cell biology, and immunology have made it possible to identify several pathomechanisms. However, still more questions arise with regard to the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of immunologically mediated cardiovascular diseases. In this book, leading scientists and clinicians from different areas of cardiology present the state-of-the-art knowledge on the involve­ ment of the immune system in myocardial and vascular diseases. In the field of myocarditis, both the virological and the immunological findings are presented, and the interactions between the virus and the immune system are discussed. Since the cellular immune system and its mediators play an important role in the inflammation by bacteria that cause endocarditis and septic shock, studies investigating the underlying pathomechanisms are de­ scribed. Another major topic in this volume is the involvement of the immune system in arteriosclerosis and coronary heart disease, which represents an important problem in clinical cardiology. The final chapter addresses the question of therapeutic options, presenting new approaches for a specific and effective therapy based on the current knowledge of immunologically mediated cardiovascular diseases.

Severe sepsis and septic shock are the most serious compli­ cations of bacterial infections. Both gram-positive and gram­ negative bacteria can trigger these extreme inflammatory re­ sponses and, by so doing, cause substantial morbidity and mortality. In the United States alone, over 400 000 patients suffer from septicaemia each year, and approximately 100 000 of these patients die despite optimal intensive care and modern antimicrobial therapy. These dramatic figures have prompted intensive research to define the bacterial and host factors involved in the septic response. Scientists from many disciplines, including chem­ istry, physics, biology, medical microbiology, immunology, and pharmacology, have worked closely with clinicians to achieve rapid and profound progress. To translate this newly acquired knowledge into clinical practice, clinical trials have also been performed to evaluate numerous new therapeutic drugs. The disappointing results from these trials have underscored a major lesson, namely, that sepsis constitutes an extremely complex syndrome and that basic and clinical research must be greatly intensified in order to illuminate its molecular mechan­ isms. At this stage, the editors of the present volume of Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology considered it would be rewarding to compile a volume summarizing our present basic and clinical knowledge on sepsis. Our particular gratitude extends to those international experts who have followed our invitation and elaborated on particular areas of the basic and clinical aspects of this field.

Several aspects of clinical medicine are poised on the edge of a new era with the introduction of therapeutic antibodies. This revolution has been made possible by major advances in immune technology, which are now beginning to mature into clinical practice. This volume is aimed at all clinicians involved with this form of treatment, especially accident and emergency physicians, clinical immunologists, and pharmacologists. It covers both the basic technology, and also all the main clinical areas of application: septic shock, auto-immune disease, and cancer. The future of therapeutic antibodies is also discussed, including exciting new developments in'catalytic antibodies'. This is the first occasion on which all these topics have been brought together in a single volume, thus making it an important reference source for physicians and researchers in this fast-moving area.

This textbook is written at the dawn of a new era in the management of sepsis. Recent achievements in the clinical management of septic shock are the culmination of decades of basic and applied research by innovative researchers and clinical investigators worldwide. The contributing authors to this book have spearheaded much of this research and the Editors have endeavored to create a textbook that is comprehensive in nature while maintaining a specific focus upon the multitude of work that constitutes the spectrum of sepsis research including: pathophysiology; monitoring systems; general support; microbial aspects; complications; and anti-sepsis therapies.