Editors: Derek J. Chadwick (Organizer) and Jamie Goode.

This symposium is based on a proposal made by Siamon Gordon and Gordon Brown.

Chair's introduction (Siamon Gordon).

Lung diseases in South Africa: an overview (Eric D. Bateman and Anamika Jithoo).

Discussion.

TB epidemiology and human genetics (Paul D. van Helden, Marlo Moller, Chantal Babb, Robin Warren, Gerhard Walzl, Pieter Uys and Eileen Hoal).

Discussion.

Bacterial infections of the lung in normal and immunodeficient patients (David P. Speert).

Discussion.

Pathogenesis of avian flu H5N1 and SARS (Malik Peiris).

Discussion.

Immunity and tolerance to Aspergillus fumigatus (Claudia Montagnoli, Silvia Bozza, Roberta Gaziano, Teresa Zelante, Pierluigi Bonifazi, Francesca Sepioni, Silvia Bellocchio, Lucia Pitzurra and Luigina Romani).

Discussion.

Pentraxins in innate immunity and inflammation (Cecilia Garlanda, Barbara Bottazzi, Giovanni Salvatori, Rita De Santis, Alessia Cotena, Livija Deban, Viriginia Maina, Federica Moalli, Andrea Doni and Alberto Mantovani).

Discussion.

How superoxide production by neutrophil leukocytes kills microbes (Anthony W. Segal).

Discussion.

Linking innate to adaptive immunity through dendritic cells (Ralph M. Steinman).

Discussion.

Macrophage receptors and innate immunity: insights from dectin-1 (Gordon D. Brown).

Discussion.

Toll-like receptors and control of mycobacterial infection in mice (Bernhard Ryffel, Muazzam Jacobs, Shreemanta Parida, Tania Botha, Dieudonnée Togbe and Valerie Quesniaux).

Discussion.

Population of lungs by mast cells (T. J. Williams and C. L. Weller).

Discussion.

Innate immunity and mucus structure and function (John K. Sheehan, Mehmet Kesimer and Raymond Pickles).

Discussion.

Collectins and host defence (R. B. Sim, H. Clark, K. Hajelaand K. R. Mayilyan).

Discussion.

Infections and asthma pathogenesis: a critical role for dendritic cells? (Bart N. Lambrecht and Leonie S. van Rijt).

Discussion.

Innate and adaptive immunity in lung cancer (L. A. Vella and O. J. Finn).

Discussion.

Summing up (Siamon Gordon).

Index of Contributors.

Subject index.