In 1996, the National Bladder Foundation (NBF) was founded by a dedicated group of physicians and researchers propeIled by the urgent need to find better treatments for bladder disease. Committed to increasing bladder disease research and to supporting its research community, the NBF coordinates and sponsors the International Bladder Symposium (IBS) in Washington, DC. Now considered to be a premier scientific assembly, the IBS brings together international leaders in bladder disease resear...

This book systematically reviews and discusses recent studies and articles on the immunology of female genital tract tissue. The scope is broad, encompassing innate immune responses, adaptive (humoral and cell-mediated) immunity, the immunology of menstruation, the immunology of viral and bacterial infections, the immunology of normal and abnormal pregnancy, and immunological infertility. Throughout, tables and illustrations are judiciously used to facilitate understanding. Immunology of t...

Infertility is defned as the inability to conceive after having unprotected intercourse for a year. Infertility is increasing worldwide and has various causes both in the male and the female partner. Immune reactions to sperm can contribute up to 2–30% of infertility. The sperm has both autoantigenic as well as isoantigenic potential, and is thus capable of p- ducing antisperm antibodies (ASAs) and sperm-reactive T cells in both infertile men and women. Also, over 75% vasectomized men prod...

This book addresses various aspects of testicular autoimmunity. It has long been suspected that testicular autoimmunity could be one of the causes of idiopathic male infertility. However, it is very difficult to estimate the incidence of testicular autoimmunity in men, as most male patients first realize they are infertile when they start trying to conceive a child, and there is a possibility that their testes may already exhibit the end stage of testicular autoimmunity, in which lymphocyt...

This volume provides an up-to-date account of the achievements pertaining to the application of capsaicin and capsaicin-like molecules in the therapy of various human ailments such as pain, non-allergic rhinitis, obesity, tumors and gastrointestinal, dermatologic and urologic disorders. It discusses the basic functions of the capsaicin receptor (TRPV1), its mechanisms of action and its role in physiological and pathological processes. The text focuses on the most recent progress in the use...

The management of advanced renal cell carcinoma is still problematic. Surgery, although the therapy of choice for locally advanced renal tumors, is still controversial as the treatment for metastases. The role of surgery in the management of patients with pulmonary, bony, and liver metastasis is one of the subject matters discussed in this book. Our results with series of patients undergoing resection of metastases from the lung, bone, and liver show that surgery may be appropriate in sele...

This book is a unique collaboration between a mother of a child with atopic dermatitis (AD) and the doctor who is treating the child — it offers practical information on AD, recent research findings and tackles many aspects of living with eczema that patients have through the conversation between the mother and doctor. Therefore, this book is an up-to-date comprehensive resource for people suffering from AD, parents of children who suffer from AD and practitioners who treat AD. In brief, f...

This book offers comprehensive coverage of both basic and clinical aspects of immune reactions responsible for infertility. It has four sections focusing on Sperm antigens, Antisperm antibodies (ASAs), Clinical impact of ASAs, and Immune contraception, and include contributions from leading experts in these fields. This new edition of the book offers a comprehensive update that reflects the very significant advances in reproductive immunology that have been achieved over the past five year...

Autoantibodies was published and presented in November 2006 at the International Congress of Autoimmunity in Sorrento, a small town in Campania, Italy. The Congress also celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first routine test for autoantibodies. An autoantibody is a type of antibody that is produced by the immune system and that fights one or more of a person's own proteins. These autoantibodies cause autoimmune diseases such as lupus erythematosus. The authors and editors of this book ...

The neurology of sex and bladder disorders requires specialized knowledge and represents a challenge for clinical neurologists focused on the neurological condition. Sex and bladder disorders are often related to more general neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis, and often the sex and bladder disorders are passed to specialists in urology. Neurology of Sexual and Bladder Disorders: Handbook of Clinical Neurology is a focused, yet comprehensive overview tha...

Many breakthroughs in biological research and translational healthcare advancements have been achieved by studying the response of biological systems to extreme environments. The spaceflight platform provides a unique environment where researchers can explore fundamental questions into cellular and molecular response mechanisms to unveil novel insight into human health and disease. Since the physical force of gravity has shaped the architecture of all biological systems on our planet, spac...