BOOK REVIEWS Gary P. Wormser, Section Editor

Candida and The next 2 chapters are very detailed therapy, outcome, and prevention are cov- and were written with the researcher in ered quite well. Although critical points Edited by Richard A. Calderone mind, and they cover such topics as the are mentioned, such as the importance of Washington, DC: American Society of of species and the bio- removal of intravenous catheters and the Microbiology Press, 2002. 472 pp. $109.95 logical and serological characteristics of role of lipid formulations of amphotericin (cloth). Candida infection. Then follows a most B in the treatment of candidemia, several interesting and pertinent chapter about critical omissions remain. No mention is The increasing incidence of nosocomial the emergence of non-albicans species of made of the role of and Candida infection and the increasing pop- Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/35/4/498/569533 by guest on 29 September 2021 Candida as pathogens. After the historical second-generation triazoles for the treat- ulation of immunosuppressed patients background and pathogenesis is pre- ment of candidemia. The importance of make this book on Candida and candi- sented, data about several species of Can- adding 5-fluorocytosine to amphotericin diasis a timely addition to the medical lit- dida are reviewed—namely, Candida dub- B when treating C. tropicalis candidemia erature. As is noted in the book, the liniensis, Candida glabrata, , in neutropenic patients is not mentioned. number of publications about Candida in- , Candida tropicalis, In the third chapter in this section, fection and candidiasis increased from and Candida lusitaniae. The biggest draw- deep-seated candidal infections are dis- ∼3000 in the early 1980s to almost 7000 backs of this chapter are the short section cussed, including infection of the urine, by the end of the 1990s, which highlights on susceptibility to and the peritoneum, liver and spleen, heart, eye, the importance of and interest in this failure to mention echinocandins, second- CNS, lung, bones, and joints. These sub- topic. The target audience includes clini- generation triazoles (such as sections are well written and are very use- cians who care for immunosuppressed pa- and ), and the lipid formu- ful and relevant to the clinician. However, tients, pathologists with an interest in my- lations of . information about the role of the afore- cology, diagnostic laboratory technicians, Chapters 5–21 are devoted to popula- mentioned new agents was like- and medical microbiology students and tion genetics, virulence factors, morphol- wise missing. researchers. ogy, cell biology, immunologic response The final chapter in the section about The book includes major sections on the history and general properties, viru- and to host defense against candidiasis candidal diseases is comprehensive: it is lence properties, cell biology, immunity, (vaginal, cutaneous, and invasive), and 34 pages in length, and there are almost and genomics of Candida infection, the genomics. The topics are very technical 300 references. Conventional and emerg- diseases and conditions caused by Candida and hold greater relevance for the re- ing antifungal agents are described, as are species (e.g., mucocutaneous disease, can- searcher than for the clinician. drug-resistance mechanisms. The treat- didemia, deep-seated infection, and the The clinically rich section about diseases ment modalities are up-to-date—there is development of drug-resistance mecha- caused by Candida species comes next. In even mention of a recent abstract by nisms), and the laboratory methodology the first chapter in this section, “Skin and Walsh et al. [1] about voriconazole versus for diagnosis of candidiasis. The opening Mucous Membrane Infections,” the au- AmBisome (Fujisawa USA) for empiric chapter is of particular interest to the cli- thor does a thorough job describing an- therapy for febrile neutropenia. This study nician, because the history of Candida in- tifungal-resistant oral, esophageal, and was recently a lead article in The New Eng- fection and candidiasis is presented with vulvovaginal candidiasis. The information land Journal of Medicine. the name of the researcher and the year about treatment options is current. Dis- Finally, the laboratory methodology of discovery. This chapter is especially use- appointingly, the sections about skin man- for diagnosis of candidiasis was outlined. ful for acquiring historical information for ifestations and chronic mucocutaneous Means of identification of Candida species developing presentations about fungal in- candidiasis were rather short and not as using culture and nonculture techniques fections and for understanding the chal- thorough as the rest of the section. are documented. The nonculture methods lenges that were faced and overcome by In this section’s second chapter, can- discussed are detection of antibodies, an- the first figures in the field of candidiasis didemia is described with emphasis on the tigens, or nonantigen components, and research. high-risk populations of patients with can- molecular-based methods of identification cer, solid-organ transplants, or HIV infec- of Candida species.

Permission to reprint a book review printed in this section tion or who are treated in the inten- In summary, Calderone’s book is com- may be obtained only from the author of the review. sive care unit. Signs, symptoms, diagnosis, prehensive and, for the most part, up-to-

498 • CID 2002:35 (15 August) • BOOK REVIEWS date, and it contains a good mix of US This book is organized into pertinent There is no mention for what group of and international authors. Most sections sections: “Pathogens,” “Innate Immun- readers the book is written. Many post- are written for the researcher. However, ity,” “Acquired Immunity,” “Pathology” doctoral fellows and new investigators in the clinician will find up-to-date and con- and “Immune Evasion.” Each of these sec- the fields of microbiology, microbial path- cisely packaged information that is useful tions is divided into chapters that dis- ogenesis, and infectious diseases would for lectures, teaching, and improving the cuss bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses. find this book helpful for quickly getting care of patients with Candida infection. Other chapters interspersed in the sections up-to-date in the various topics discussed. Clinicians who care for patients with describe aspects of immunology that are In addition, graduate students in micro- cancer, HIV infection, solid-organ trans- pertinent to the topics of microbial im- bial pathogenesis and immunology could plants, or a critical illness will be most munity, including mucosal immunology, take advantage of the information in this interested in adding this book to their col- the Th1-Th2 paradigm, immunogenetics, book to supplement their course work and lections of helpful reference materials. and evolution of anti-infective immunity. research. However, many established in- Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/35/4/498/569533 by guest on 29 September 2021 The discussion of topics in these chapters vestigators in the field might find this book John N. Greene is extensive and more than adequate to slightly rudimentary, especially the basic Medicine Section, Division of Infectious attain the stated goal of this book: “to re- immunology chapters. and Tropical Diseases, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida view not the monologues of, but the di- There are 2 other drawbacks to this alogue between pathogens and the host book that decrease its usefulness. There is immune system” (p. xi). The editors are a distinct lack of figures that would en- Reference to be commended on the selection of hance the descriptions in the text. There 1. Walsh TJ, Pappas D, Winstonk J, et al. Vori- chapter authors; all are noted experts in are only 11 color figures included in the conazole versus liposomal amphotericin B for their selected fields and, therefore, should book. There are a few black and white empirical antifungal therapy of persistently feb- rile neutropenic patients: a randomized, inter- have access to and knowledge of the most figures included in most chapters, but a national, multicenter trial [abstract L-1]. In: up-to-date information for their chapters. few chapters have no figures. This de- Programs and abstracts of the 40th Interscience The repeated pattern of chapters in each creases the usefulness of the book as a Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Che- motherapy (Toronto). Washington, DC: Amer- section (each of which deals, in turn, with reference that investigators can quickly ican Society for Microbiology Press, 2000. bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses) consult for pertinent information and un- makes for a very systematic discussion of derstanding. In addition, although this topics but, by its very structure, gives rise book was published this year, there are Immunology of Infectious to much inherent redundancy that might some subject areas about which up-to- Diseases have been corrected with some judicious date information is lacking. For example, editing. One instance is in the set of chap- pattern recognition receptors, TLRs, and Edited by Stefan H. E. Kaufmann, Alan Sher, and Rafi Ahmed ters on innate immunity. Innate immune Nod1, which are extremely important, are functions for each set of microbes can be discussed on only 3 pages in total. TLRs Washington, DC: American Society for Microbiology Press, 2002. 520 pp., illustrated. similar, and the discussion of many of have been shown to be essential in initi- $105.95 (cloth). these functions is repeated in each chapter: ating innate immune responses to a large for example, there are 3 sections devoted variety of pathogens, including bacteria, This new collection discusses the inter- specifically to complement. It would have fungi, and viruses, and they also have been actions between microbial pathogens and been advantageous if there were a single shown to be a link between innate and pathogenic mechanisms and host immu- section that discussed complement and acquired immune responses to these path- nity towards these pathogens. This is an complement-mediated functions associ- ogens. Pattern recognition of pathogen extremely timely topic, and the informa- ated with innate and acquired immunity, structures and its relationship to immune tion contained in this book highly justifies to which other chapters referred. There- responses to these pathogens would seem its publication. During the past decade, fore, the book lacks consistency and may to be an essential point of this book; there- the knowledge gathered regarding the im- appear to be, essentially, separate review fore, the relative paucity of discussion munobiologic characteristics of microbes articles covering the topic announced in about this topic is disappointing. Even has grown exponentially. This is especially the title of each. This is not to say that with the lead time needed for publication true with respect to our recently improved this is a fatal flaw, because there is much of a book of this type, there is still much understanding of innate immune activa- significant information in each chapter, newer information regarding TLRs and tion by pathogens due to interactions but, if a book is to be put together in such the relationship to immune responses to with specific pattern-recognitionreceptors a fashion, coherence between chapters pathogens that should have been included. (Toll-like receptors [TLRs] and Nod1). would be advantageous. Overall, this is a fine book that can be

BOOK REVIEWS • CID 2002:35 (15 August) • 499