The laboratory diagnostic methods have increasingly incorporated fully automated and computerized procedures. In addition to the immunoassays that are available for detection of antigens, antibodies or other markers, the “methods of molecular biology and nanotechnology employed in microarrays or multiplex systems” has been having an increasing use in the clinical practice, as they have defined profiles for different clinical situations. If on one hand this large amount of information helps diagnosis, on the other hand, this diversity of methods and technologies may generate “doubts regarding the interpretation of the clinical value of the results, bewildering the professionals in relation to their initial clinical suspicion”.
In this context, the book “Diagnóstico laboratorial das principais doenças infecciosas e autoimunes” (“Laboratory diagnosis of main infectious and autoimmune diseases”), third edition, edited by Antonio Walter Ferreira and Sandra do Lago Moraes offers tools and principles that are very useful for a critical view of a laboratory result. The book also allows the improvement of individual knowledge of the most important infections in the clinical practice, also including autoimmune diseases and allergies, and may be used as a reference text for courses in related areas.
The book is divided into 8 sections with 34 chapters. The first section is on “General Methodology”. The aim of this section is to provide basic concepts of the methods used in immunological and molecular diagnosis. These concepts, presented in three chapters, are intended to introduce the reader to the immunological and molecular techniques that will be quoted in subsequent chapters.
Subsequent sections are on Virus, Bacteria, Protozoa, Helminths, Fungi, Allergy and Autoimmune diseases. Each of the 31 chapters makes a brief description of the disease, showing general aspects, such as the etiological agent, epidemiology, and clinical manifestations. However, the focus is on the laboratory diagnosis. The authors describe the different methods of diagnosing the disease/infection, discuss their advantages and disadvantages, their current use, and correlate the results with clinic, allowing a critical view of a laboratory result.
This third edition was being very awaited by professionals and students in the health field; they find the book a read reference, in Portuguese, in the matters addressed. The clinical and laboratory correlations presented allow professionals and students in the area to have a critical view of the methods employed.
The book was “revised and updated in light of the rapid evolution of the tests used in clinical pathology”. The graphic design was more attractive with new layout and more colorful. As in previous editions, the book’s editors were careful inviting experts recognized for their work in each topic covered. In this way, the book offers a great deal of information. Reading this book is a very interesting task.
Reference
- FERREIRA, Antonio Walter & MORAES, Sandra do Lago - Diagnóstico laboratorial das principais doenças infecciosas e autoimunes. 3ª ed. Rio de Janeiro: Editora Guanabara Koogan; 2013. 477p. ilus. ISBN 978-85-277-2302-2.
Publication Dates
-
Publication in this collection
Mar-Apr 2014
