Since the appearance of reports in the early 1970s describing the ability of lithium to induce a leuko-cytosis in manic patients receiving lithium therapy, scientists have been investigating the effects of lithium both on haematopoietic cells and on other cell types present in blood. This volume is a compilation of the most recent work in this field utilizing normal subjects, patients and animal models. Chapters discuss the influence of lithium on haematopoiesis, granulocyte function cells of the immune system, and membrane transport in red blood cells. Furthermore, the haematological events resulting from the combination of lithium with another antipsychotic drug are also described. Written by experts who have dealt extensively with lithium either clinically or as an experimental research tool, this book is aimed at those interested in the lithium ion and especially for those who are concerned with cell biology, immunology, haematology, membrane transport and psychiatry.
