Introduction to Immunochemical Techniques for Medical Diagnosis, Food Quality Control and Environmental Testing

J. Daussant and F.X. Desvaux: Introduction to Immunochemical Techniques for Medical Diagnosis, Food Quality Control and Environmental Testing. Published by ITC Press, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague, Czech Republic in 2007, First Edition, ISBN 978-80-7080-641-8, Price 15 EURO including CD-ROM. The order is possible directly by following e-mail: Marketa.Poduskova(at)vscht.cz .

The primary goal of this textbook is to educate students in immunochemistry and immunochemical methods; however, it will be very useful for all those who like to understand this topic or simply to refresh their knowledge. Both authors have many years of teaching experiences which they gain by giving immunochemical courses in many countries (France, Czech and Slovak republics and Poland) in the frame of Tempus projects (i.e. European educational projects) or simply on the basis of long-term collaboration or by teaching immunology at the P. and M. Curie university in Paris.

The publication is divided into 3 parts: Fundamentals of immunochemistry, Principles of immunochemical techniques and Application of immunochemical methods to medical diagnosis, food quality control and environmental testing. The first part is dealing with the brief history of immunochemistry, description of the structure, properties and preparation of polyclonal, monoclonal and recombinant antibodies, as well as by the ways of application of the individual types of antibodies in immunochemical methods. The second part of the textbook is oriented on immunochemical techniques which are classified in three big groups: techniques based on the primary interaction between antigen and antibodies (including RIA and EIA), techniques based on the reversibility of the antigen-antibody complex formation and finally on the techniques based on the application of the secondary effect resulting from antigen-antibody complex formation (mainly immunoprecipitation and immunoaglutination). The third part of the textbook is presenting the most important applications of immunochemical techniques in named areas.

The text is characterized with precious formulations and excellent explanation of all important immunochemical terms and accompanied with very nice colored pictures. Very useful is also the glossary of the important immunochemical terms. The added CD-ROM contains not only the published text but it makes also possibly the full text searching showing what is written on each term on certain pages. It is also possible to find there information about the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague where the ICT Press is located as a university publishing house. It is only necessary to switch from Czech language to English by touching GB flag.

The textbook is giving basic knowledge of immunochemistry in reasonable range (89 pages) and in excellent shape and thus, as an university teacher, I can recommend it to all students of chemical, biological, medical, veterinary and environmental studies, as well as, to those who missed this subject during their education.