Volume 5 provides current knowledge regarding the intricacies of the immune system and the manner by which environmental agents can disrupt immune homeostasis and induce pathologies. The volume begins with an introduction to the field of immunotoxicology and an overview of the immune system. This is followed by a description of the cellular components of the immune system and how their development and reactivities can be modified. The architecture of the immune system is described as well as immunology, e.g. pulmonary and mucosal immunology. Immune functions specifically delineated include cell trafficking, processing of antigens, the manner by which cells communicate and are signaled into activation from plasma membrane events through to transcriptional events. The immunopathologies resultant from hypersensitivities are presented with emphasis on the mechanistic means by which chemicals can modify health.
Animal and human examples of autoimmune diseases are presented as well as the immune changes that occur with aging. Immunosuppression induced by cancers and drugs used for treatment of cancers and transplant patients are reviewed along with the immunotoxicities associated with biological response modifiers. The ability of stressors to modify immune functions help describe the importance of neuroimmunological investigations. The immunoregulatory properties of stress response proteins are also reviewed. The volume concludes with methods and applications utilized for risk assessment and the consequences of immunotoxicological analysis of humans.