Birth Defects: Original Article Series, 8

Abstract

minor points.Dr Davison's section is concluded by properly concentrated on the genetics of immunity.The three appendices, containing invaluable records of all book begins with a gentle introduction in the form of a case summaries and histories in the first two, with some wide ranging essay.Chapter 2 deals with immuno- of the pedigrees in the third.globulin structure and evolution and provides an ade- The second part (21 pages) of the monograph is an quate background for a remarkably comprehensible aetiological investigation by Drs Swift, Benson, and discussion of the genetics of immunoglobulin molecules Studdy of those patients hospitalized in Leybourne covered in Chapter 3 and of antibody variability covered Grange Hospital who have an IQ of 50 or less, and at in Chapter 4. In Chapter 5 the genetics of histo- least one sib with an IQ of 60 or less.They found 66 compatibility, a brief review of T and B cells and their such patients from 30 families and divided them into interaction, antigen receptors on lymphoid cells, immune diagnostic groups of known aetiology, those with similar deficiency states in man and animals, autoimmunity and physical, but no biochemical, abnormalities among the lymphoid neoplasias, and finally the genetic control of affected sibs, those with no physical or biochemical specific immune response are reviewed in only 27 pages.abnormalities and a group of four families, in each of In Chapter 6 the authors consider human blood groups which a new biochemical error had been found (both the and to some extent depart from the narrower definition affected sibs in these four families were excreting exces-of immunogenetics by including systems which, al- sive amounts of tyrosin, beta-alanin, l-methylhistidin, though they may have been detected by immunological and hydroxylysin, respectively).Column chromato-(usually serological) techniques, presumably have, with