Ladies and Gentlemen, dear guests, It is my great pleasure and privilege to extend our heartiest wel come to you, the participants of this 33rd Nobel symposium. To those of you who have not attended a Nobel symposium before I would like just briefly to explain why Nobel's name is linked to this series of symposia. Alfred Nobel, who died in San Remo in 1896, donated the main part of his fortune to the promotion of in ternational science and culture by establishing annual prizes for outstanding discoveries or contributions within five fields, che mistry, physics, physiology or medicine, literature and peace. The annual awards should be distributed by five corresponding prize committees out of which four in Stockholm and one in Oslo (at that time Sweden and Norway were a united kingdom). The Nobel Foundation was instituted in 1900 with the main function to administer econo mically the Nobel Donation. It has done so very successfully. The Foundation has even been abl~ to beat the inflation and the prizes have steadily increased during the last 20 years. It might interest you to hear that this year's prizes will amount to 681. 000 Sw. crowns each. Due to the favourable financial development and also due to addi tional donations the Nobel Foundation decided to extend its inte rests by promoting the arrangements of symposia, lectures and other international scientific activities.

Inhalt
Session I Structure of Allergens and Regulation of IgE Immune Response.- Common Characteristics of Major Allergens.- Allergy: A Model for Studying the Genetics of Human Immune Response.- Induction and Suppression of IgE Antibody Response.- T Cell-Mediated Regulation of IgE Antibody Production.- Session II IgE In Rats: An Experimental Model.- Production of IgE and Reaginic Antibody in Rats in Relation to Worm Infections.- IgE-Myelomas in Rats.- Macrophage Cytotoxicity Mediated by IgE Antibody.- Session III IgE-Dependent Activation and Release of Chemical Mediators.- Function and Structure of Immunoglobulin E (IgE).- Functions and Development of Cell Receptors for IgE.- Modes of Action of Antigen-Antibody Reaction and Compound 48/80 in Histamine Release.- Discussion Remark: Protein Kinases in Rat Mast Cells.- The Interdependence of Allergic and Inflammatory Processes.- Influence of Calcium Ions and Metabolic Energy (ATP) on Histamine Release.- Molecular Events in Membrane Fusion Occurring During Mast Cell Degranulation.- Mast Cell-Derived Mediators: Structural and Functional Diversity and Regulation of Expression.- Prostaglandins and Related Substances in Acute Allergie Reactions.- Session IV Generation of Biologically Active Substances and Mediator - Target Cell Interactions.- The Anaphylatoxins: Formation, Structure, Function and Control.- Some Interrelations Among Chemotaxis, Lysosomal Enzyme Secretion and Phagocytosis by Neutrophils.- The Hageman Factor System: Mechanism of Contact Activation.- Neutrophil Generation of Permeability Enhancing Peptides from Plasma Substrates.- Specificity and Modulation of the Eosinophil Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte Response to the Eosinophil Chemotactic Factor of Anaphylaxis (ECF-A).- Lymphocyte Mediators, Activated Macrophages, and Tumor Immunity.- Participants.