New Trends in Allergy V

Allergy is one of the major health problems of most modern societies. Allergic diseases have increased in prevalence during the last decades; the reasons for this increase are unknown, there are only hypothetical concepts for explanation. The series New Trends in Allergy now covers five volumes origin- ing from special international symposia, started in 1980 and held every 5 years, which highlight specific areas of progress in allergy research and practice. The idea behind the 5-year interval between these s- posia is that real new developments do not occur very often and c- tainly not every year. The contents of this book focus on specific areas where progress in allergy research has shown fascinating developments, such as: - Elucidation of the complex genetic basis of atopy - The influence of environmental pollutants as well as natural biolo- cal environmental factors on allergy - Gene-environment interactions in the development of allergy - Psycho-neuro-immunological aspects of allergic sensitisation and disease - The nature and function of dendritic cells in skin and mucous m- branes - Interactions between lymphocytes and effector cells, such as mast cells, eosinophils and neutrophils - Allergen carriers, allergen release and bioavailability, allergen str- ture - Atopic eczema - Asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis - Food allergy and anaphylaxis - Pharmacotherapy - Unspecific (e. g.