Mutation Detection

Since the original description of Helicobacter plvori by Warren and Marshall in 1983 there has been a virtual explosion in interest in this organism. It is now causally linked to chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma and possibly gastric cancer. It has proved to be the single most important advance in modern gastroenterology. This book is a compilation of the proceedings of an international meeting held in June 1996 in Ottawa. There are forty contributions from renowned experts and three prize-winning posters. It is an impressive collection of papers covering the full range of relevant topics. Basic scientists consider microbiological aspects-it is the most diverse bacterium known to infect humans, the virulence factors which make some strains more pathological than others and the host response. The immunological response is examined in detail by several authors since the organism's prolonged coexistence in the gastric mucosal layer, largely unscathed, presents a challenge to conventional immunological theory and for the development of protective vaccines. From the clinical perspective the issues of H pylori related lymphoma, gastric cancer and eradication treatment are considered in depth. Papers on failure of treatment are perhaps the most useful for the practising gastroenterologist who is not uncommonly faced with this situation. The perspective of the general practitioner is a so considered-there is no doubt that the rapidly changing protocols for treatment and the development of non invasive approaches to dyspepsia make this a difficult and challenging area. This book represents a collection of superb reviews by talented experts in the field. At a cost of£ 128 it is unlikely to be a book which many people would buy for their private collection but as state of the art it is superbly referenced and will be a very welcome addition to any medical library or academic department. Within a single volume it presents data which would otherwise require many hours searching the literature. Helcobacterpylori is a new discovery. Every chapter in the book discusses new developments but without exception they also clearly define the limits of knowledge. This is perhaps the book's greatest contribution. By getting its readership "up to speed" it stimulates others to research and think critically about this fascinating area. Owen Wade is arguably the man who brought modern pharmacology and therapeutics to Queen's University. He has now published an autobiography which should be of interest to everyone involved in drug use, …