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For scientists, clinicians, and clinical pharmacologists, researchers from North and South America, Europe, and Australia present data on the immunology of asthma obtained from human studies in light of data obtained from animal models of the disease. Recent developments in invasive and noninvasive measurements of airway inflammation and lung function, and in immunology and cell biology, have led to the current belief that a dysregulated cellular and humoral immune response to allergen might be the basis for atopy. The overall themes are the cells of the pulmonary immune response, regulatory processes in the pulmonary immune response, the integrated immunology of airway inflammation, and immunological aspects of asthma therapy.

Table of Contents:

Introduction
Preface
Contributors
Pt. 1 The Cells of the Pulmonary Immune Response
1 Overview of the Pulmonary Immune Response 1
2 Antigen-Presenting Cells 19
3 CD4 T Lymphocytes in Allergic Asthma 53
4 B-Cell Differentiation and IgE Synthesis 83
5 Immune Functions of Mast Cells and Basophils 121
6 Immune Functions of Human Eosinophils 147
7 Immune Functions of Airway Epithelium 189
Pt. 2 Regulatory Processes in the Pulmonary Immune Response
8 Tolerance to Inhaled Antigen 221
9 Sensitization to Inhaled Allergen 243
10 Polarization of T-Helper Cells 261
11 CD28 and B7 Superfamily Members: Costimulation and Regulation of T-Cell Function 281
12 Control of Lymphocyte Trafficking Through the Lung 293
13 Neuroimmune Interactions in the Pathogenesis of Allergic Asthma 311
Pt. 3 Integrated Immunology of Airway Inflammation
14 Immunopathology of Atopic and Nonatopic Asthma 343
15 Immunology of Eosinophilic Airway Inflammation: When the Animal Models Teach Us 365
16 Regulation of Cellular Traffic in the Asthmatic Lung 409
17 Cytokine Regulation of Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness 439
18 Immunological Functions of Inflammatory Mediators 467
19 Virally Induced Eosinophilic Airway Inflammation 529
20 Airway Remodeling as the Outcome of a Chronic Immune Response to Inhaled Allergen 543
Pt. 4 Immunological Aspects of Asthma Therapy
21 Immunomodulatory Aspects of Current Asthma Therapy 583
22 Immunomodulators in the Treatment of Asthma 603
23 Immunotherapy of Asthma: Prospects for a Vaccine? 619
24 Adenovirus-Mediated Gene Therapy for Asthma 643
Author Index 677
Subject Index 783