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This volume provides the reader with a detailed overview of the current state-of-the art approach of Hepatitis C management. It reviews the course of action in handling of chronic Hepatitis C patients with various HCV genotypes and treats special cases such as acute hepatitis, transplant and renal patients as well as people who inject drugs. The two volume work on Hepatitis C introduces to the topic by reviewing virology, diagnosis, epidemiology, prevention, management and elimination of HCV. The book provides a valuable source at full length for researchers and clinicians working on Hepatitis C.

The topic of this book, Collectins, is a family of proteins whose major function is in innate immunity, where Collectins act as pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). In general they recognize targets such as microbial surfaces and apoptotic cells, and once bound to a target, Collectins promote the clearance of microorganisms and damaged host tissue. New cell-surface proteins and glycoproteins, which act as Collectin receptors, are currently being identified. Some Collectins, particularly MBL, activate the complement system, which enhances the ability of antibodies to fight pathogens, via three MBL-associated proteases, the MASPs. Additionally, recent research has begun to show wider-ranging activities of Collectins, such as: · Their role in metabolism, and therefore their involvement in lifestyle diseases such as obesity and cardiovascular disease.· Their ability to modulate the adaptive immune response, as well as to recognize and trigger apoptosis of cancer cells, which makes them effective in the annihilation of cancer cells with multiple mutations.· The regulation of their expression by gonadal steroid hormones implicates them with critical roles in both male and female fertility.· Altered levels of Collectins have been associated with various autoimmune diseases.This book brings together current knowledge of the structure, functions and biological activities of Collectins, to describe their integral role in human health.

In recent years, advanced molecular techniques in diagnostic microbiology have been revolutionizing the practice of clinical microbiology in the hospital setting. Molecular diagnostic testing in general and nucleic acid-based amplification methods in particular have been heralded as diagnostic tools for the new millennium. This third edition covers not only the most recent updates and advances, but details newly invented omic techniques, such as next generation sequencing. It is divided into two distinct volumes, with Volume 1 describing the techniques, and Volume 2 addressing their applications in the field. In addition, both volumes focus more so on the clinical relevance of the test results generated by these techniques than previous editions.

The essential reference of clinical virology Virology is one of the most dynamic and rapidly changing fields of clinical medicine. For example, sequencing techniques from human specimens have identified numerous new members of several virus families, including new polyomaviruses, orthomyxoviruses, and bunyaviruses. Clinical Virology, Fourth Edition, has been extensively revised and updated to incorporate the latest developments and relevant research. Chapters written by internationally recognized experts cover novel viruses, pathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, organized into two major sections: Section 1 provides information regarding broad topics in virology, including immune responses, vaccinology, laboratory diagnosis, principles of antiviral therapy, and detailed considerations of important organ system manifestations and syndromes caused by viral infections. Section 2 provides overviews of specific etiologic agents and discusses their biology, epidemiology, pathogenesis of disease causation, clinical manifestations, laboratory diagnosis, and management. Clinical Virology provides the critical information scientists and health care professionals require about all aspects of this rapidly evolving field.

This book provides comprehensive knowledge on diseases in livestock that are caused by viruses, parasites and bacteria. Emerging and re-emerging pathogens are presented in detail for various animal groups and in-depth insights into pathogenesis and epidemiology will be provided for each of them. In addition, state-of-the-art treatment possibilities, control measures as well as vaccination strategies are discussed. The recent years have witnessed a sharp increase in the number of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases of livestock and many of these, including Influenza, Corona and Hanta are of public health importance. The reasons for this development are manifold:changes in the climate, life cycle of vectors and increased global travel. Also, due to extensive deforestation, livestock are increasingly coming in direct contact with wild animals that are reservoirs of many emerging pathogens. Recent progress in diagnosis and management of emerging infectious diseases are also topic of this book.

Never has so much progress been reported in immunology as at this congress. The full impact of new technologies, developed since the late 1970s, has come to fruition: gene isolation, mutation, transfection and expression, protein structure and peptide synthesis, cell cloning, hybridization and monoclonal antibodies, CD serology, SCID and transgenic mice, modern immunomudulation and vaccines. An overwhelming mass of data has accumulated over the last years. The reports are up-to-date and outstanding, to a degree no journal will ever achieve, and the results are presented in a concise and lucid way. This report will serve as a guideline for generations of immunologists to come. Hundreds of new alleys have been opened, an abundance of research tools and goals are pointed to. This volume is a treasure trove of explorations ahead of our time - it is exciting reading. This progress report presents outstanding contributions, worth many prizes - a feature which is unusual for proceedings volumes. Immunology is exhibited at its best: an exciting research area and a rewarding subject to study for the benefit of mankind - today more than ever!

It has been almost 20 years since the discovery by Kohler and Milstein of the technology to produce monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), a discovery that promised revolutionary changes in research, clinical diagnosis and human therapy. From today's perspective, it is fair to conclude that this promise has been realized in two areas of the three. As research tools, MAbs have been invaluable: their ability to selectively bind and localize specific antigens, detect and identify new ligands and their receptors, and agonize and/or antagonize specific molecular interactions continues to provide a useful and enabling technology to basic research endeavors. Similarly, MAbs have demonstrated enormous practical impact as diagnostic tools. Recent advances in clinical diagnostic medicine continue to rely heavily on the use of MAb-based reagents for detecting and localizing antigens of clinical import. In contrast, however, MAbs have not proven to have major impact on human disease therapy. With the single exception of an immunosup­ pressive MAb against the T-cell antigen, CD3, MAbs have as yet found few meaningful applications as therapeutic agents. During the 1980s, a set of technologies to clone, modify and express genes encoding MAbs was developed. These breakthroughs permitted MAbs to be genetically engineered which consequently gave them the potential to greatly enhance their therapeutic utility as well as significantly expand their research and diagnostic applications. New MAbs, fragments of MAbs, bispecific MAbs, single-chain MAbs, and fusions of MAbs with other gene products became available for study.

This is the first comprehensive book on human/animal gene responses to RNA viral infections, including prevalent, emerging and re-emerging RNA viruses such as HIV, SARS-CoV, West Nile virus, influenza virus and many others. Human gene responses are reviewed by leading virologists worldwide in the following aspects: (i) the altered gene expression profiles at the transcriptional and translational levels detected with cutting-edge technologies such as cDNA microarray and proteomics; (ii) host innate and adapted immune responses to viral replication in target organs; (iii) virus-activated signal transduction pathways in cell survival, apoptosis and autophagosomal pathways; and (iv) the small interfering RNA/microRNA-mediated gene silencing pathway, a recently characterized new host defense mechanism against viral infection.Organized into 27 highly accessible and well-illustrated chapters, this volume explores state-of-the-art knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of RNA virus infection and host-virus interactions. This comprehensive compilation of the altered gene expression profiles and signal transduction pathways in host cells in response to the majority of human/animal RNA viruses opens new directions for basic and clinical research on viral pathogenesis, and also provides valuable biomarkers for researchers to select gene targets in the development of diagnostic tests and antiviral therapeutics for a number of infectious diseases.

Chemokines represent a family of over 40 small proteins that, for the most part, are secreted into the environment and function by binding to G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that are expressed on numerous different cell types. When initially identified close to 30 years ago, these molecules were associated with various human inflammatory diseases and it was recognized that expression may be integral in leukocyte recruitment to inflamed tissue. Within a relatively short period of time, early participants within the field determined that these proteins displayed distinct and conserved structural features and exerted potent chemotactic effects on defined lymphocyte subsets. There are now four sub-families of chemokines identified based on defined structural criteria relating to the positional location of conserved cysteine residues within the amino-terminus of the protein. Chemokines are now recognized as important in numerous biological processes ranging from maintaining the organizational integrity of secondary lymphoid tissue to participating in various aspects of both innate and adaptive immune responses following microbial infection.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection causes severe diseases in immunocompromised patients. CMV-related morbidity is frequently linked to aberrant immune responses occurring locally within the respective tissues including immune-privileged sites such as the retina. There is growing evidence that CMV-related pathomechanisms differ profoundly as a function of cell type and differentiation state of the host cell. This book provides important new insights into CMV-related immunopathology, discusses molecular mechanisms involved in HCMV-mediated tissue injury, CMV latency and reactivation, and presents novel ideas and concepts to develop alternative antiviral drugs. As an important focus, the role of CMV-reactive T cells in protection, pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy of HCMV infection is discussed. The contributions to this book are written by leading scientists and clinicians in the field of CMV who participated in the fourth international meeting on CMV-related immunopathology, held in Berlin, September 2002. Comprehensive and up-to-date, this volume is a vital reference for clinicians involved in the diagnosis and treatment of CMV infections, as well as for researchers working in the field of herpesvirus biology and the development of antiviral drugs.

Approximately 15% of human cancer incidence can be attributed to virus infection, i.e. viruses represent the second most important risk factor (after tobacco consumption) for cancer development in humans. Today, five virus types are known to be involved in causing human cancer: papillomaviruses, retroviruses, herpesviruses, hepadnaviruses, and flaviviruses. This volume of ‘Monographs in Virology'provides a comprehensive review of a number of DNA tumor viruses. Leading experts in the field of tumor virology discuss up-to-date information, focusing on the transforming genes of DNA tumor viruses, the mechanisms of transformation and the in vitro methodology used for their identification and characterization. Even though DNA tumor viruses are a diverse group, in vitro studies have revealed several common mechanisms of viral transformation. The individual chapters of the book describe the latest research on the identification of viral oncogenes and their targets. From a medical point of view, understanding the molecular mechanisms of virus-induced cellular transformation is an essential step for the development of effective strategies to prevent and control their associated malignancies. Presented in a clear and concise manner, this book will be of great value to students as well as researchers in the fields of general biology, molecular biology, cell biology and microbiology.

For a long time, parvoviruses were mostly known in the field of veterinary medicine. Interest in these viruses broadened, however, after it was shown that one member can be harmful to humans and that some of them are endowed with oncosuppressive properties. More recently, parvovirus research received a further boost upon the realization that these agents have unique properties that make them especially suitable as vectors for a number of gene therapy applications. This timely book provides an up-to-date overview of the molecular biology of parvoviruses and their interaction with host cells and organisms as well as their pathogenic effects and potential uses as therapeutic agents. Covering the latest advances in fundamental, clinical and applied research, this book fulfills the important function of connecting the different aspects of parvovirology, ranging from basic laboratory investigations to animal and human clinical studies. Both subfamilies of parvoviridae are considered: the so-called parvovirinae which infect vertebrates and comprise the genera of parvovirus, erythrovirus and dependovirus, and the densovirinae, which infect arthropods. Summarizing recent progress made in the parvovirus field, this volume will be a valuable resource for virologists, cell and molecular biologists, clinicians and pathologists, oncologists and anyone working on gene therapy.

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV), a member of the herpesvirus family, is known as the causative agent of chickenpox (varicella) and shingles (zoster). In the past decades, considerable knowledge about the transmission as well as the clinical and epidemiological aspects of VZV infection has been accumulated. Nowadays effective treatment is available and a vaccine has been developed and licensed. This book provides a comprehensive overview of our current knowledge of the molecular biology and the clinical aspects of VZV. Written by international experts in the field, individual chapters cover the diagnosis, pathogenesis, therapy and epidemiology of VZV infection. In addition, recent research findings concerning the viral genome structure, the replication cycle, the mechanisms of latency and reactivation, as well as the development of new vaccines are described. Authoritative and up to date, this volume is a vital reference not only for researchers in the herpesvirus field, but also for clinical microbiologists, dermatologists, pediatricians, and physicians in general and internal medicine.

Human gene therapy holds great promise for the cure of many genetic diseases. In order to achieve such a cure there are two requirements. First, the affected gene must be cloned, its se­ quence determined and its regulation adequately characterized. Second, a suitable vector for the delivery of a good copy of the affected gene must be available. For a vector to be of use several attributes are highly desirable: these include ability to carry the intact gene (although this may be either the genomic or the cDNA form) in a stable form, ability to introduce the gene into the desired cell type, ability to express the introduced gene in an appropriately regulated manner for an extended period of time, and a lack of toxicity for the recipient. Also of concern is the frequency of cell transformation and, in some cases, the ability to introduce the gene into nondividing stem cells. Sev­ eral animal viruses have been tested as potential vectors, but none has proven to have all the desired properties described above. For example, retroviruses are difficult to propagate in sufficient titers, do not integrate into nondividing cells, and are of concern because of their oncogenic properties in some hosts and because they integrate at many sites in the genome and, thus, are potentially insertional mutagens. Additionally, genes introduced by retroviral vectors are frequently expressed for relatively short periods of time. A second virus used as a vector in model systems has been adenovirus (Ad).

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) control several viral infections in animals based on deletion and reconstitution experiments with CTL clones and use of CD8 genetically deficient (knock-out) mice. In this volume, data for the role that CTL play in human infectious diseases is presented. As such, this represents the first volume in which such information from several different viral and protozoan infections is brought together.