London 1983 IX + 223 pp., E34.00 ISBN 0-443-08228-6 This book addresses mainly researchers working with immunohematological laboratory methods. It deals primarily with methods for the investigation of immune thrombocytopenias. Only one chapter is devoted to the serology of erythrocytes; a few chapters are concerned with methods of assessing immune neutropenias. The 12 articles, contributed by a range of internationally acknowledged experts, are well matched and very well written. All the

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... utions follow the same pattern: a brief outline of the principle of the method(s); a detailed, very accurate step-wise description of the procedure (including the reagents and materials); problems and limitations of the method(s); report and discussion of own results and of findings published in the literature. The latter, brief, part always indicates the fields of application and the significance of each test. The first chapter (L.D. Petz, D.R. Branch) discusses the evaluation of autoimmune hemolytic anemias. Besides the routine methods, the authors accurately and clearly describe the procedure to be followed in case of complex serological problems. The second chapter (T. J. Kunicki, R.H. Aster) treats a small spectrum of tests for the detection of throm-bocyte-reactive antibodies (51Cr release, platelet suspension immunofluorescence test, RIA for platelet-associated IgG, platelet aggregation). Müller-Eck-hardt et al. discuss the RIA antiglobulin test and its application in cases with immune thrombocytopenias and warm autoimmune hemolytic anemias. Boxer et al. describe the l25I staphylococcus protein A test for the detection of IgG on thrombocytes (direct and indirect) and neutrophils (indirect). C.P. Engelfriet's group describe their thrombocyte fluorescence test following fixation in p-formaldehyde and its application for the assessment of immune thrombocytopenias and neutropenias. J.D. Tamerius and P. Tani of the Scripps, La Jolla, Calif, describe a new ELISA technique thrombocyte compatibility testing. The following chapters are devoted to immunodiffusion and nephelometry (B.S. Morse et al.), a Fab-anti-Fab test (D. Mason, R. McMillan), the quantitative anti-globulin consumption test (W.F. Rosse), a radioim-munometric test system (J.G. Kelton et al.) and a test system with monoclonal antibodies. These latter tests all aim at the quantitative determination of surface IgG, are relatively time-consuming and therefore mostly tailored for research work.