From the first to the third of August, 1980, an international sym­ posium entitled "New Trends in Allergy" was held in Munich, sponsored by the Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, in cooperation with the German Society for Allergy and Immunity Research and the European Society for Dermatological Research. The symposium pursued two main goals: to bring allergy­ oriented colleagues from various specialties such as dermatology, otorhinolaryngology, pediatrics, internal medicine, immunology, and pulmonology together for interdisciplinary contacts and dis­ cussions; and to attract internationally known experts in an effort to disseminate information on new and fundamental developments in allergology. The fact that English has become the lingua franca at congresses for the exchange of ideas in medical specialties led to the decision to hold the symposium in English. In spite of the mild handicap this posed for some participants, it was also a major factor in the symposium's success. This book contains the papers delivered by the invited speakers together with the poster presentations. They cover both basic ex­ perimental research as well as clinical problems in allergology.