Current molecular understanding of estrogen action has greatly profited from advances in molecular cell biology. These advances, and their implications for clinical use, were discussed by leading researchers from industry and academia during an international symposium held in Berlin, 1-3 March 2006 and are featured in this volume.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a classic female infertility condition affecting an estimated 6-10% of all women, many of whom are unaware of the problem. A disease that affects women from adolescence to menopause, PCOS is the single most common endrocrinologic abnormality affecting women. This book is an edited collection of writings that comprehensively covers the disease, from diagnosis and epidemiology of PCOS to clinical evaluation.

This is the first comprehensive volume on Dipeptidyl Aminopeptidases that can be marketed to a wide variety of disciplines, as well as to a variety of clinicians. Leading experts in the field contribute to this state-of-the-art view on these enzymes. This book comes at a time when our understanding of their function is growing ever more rapidly and therapeutic options have become imminent.

Clinical Urologic Endocrinology: Principles for Men's Health provides an organized, accessible reference on men's endocrinological health. Over 30 million men in the US alone suffer from erectile dysfunction and over 13 million men in the US suffer from hypogonadism (low testosterone). One out of seven couples also suffer from subfertility of which 50-60% have male factor involvement. More and more men are coming forward to seek treatment for such issues, which in the past were considered taboo and there is a strong need for a book which provides guidance for practitioners who support men in their reproductive and sexual concerns. This book covers in depth the key issues in male reproductive health in one easy-to-use resource. Clinical Urologic Endocrinology: Principles for Men's Health is a valuable reference for urologists, endocrinologists, internal medicine physicians, family medicine physicians, sex therapists, and allied health professionals providing care for men in the areas of sexual health, fertility, and men's endocrinological health.

Ghrelin, the endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue (GHS) receptor, is critical in the control of food intake and energy balance. The ghrelin receptors are now known to have important physiological properties as modulators of growth hormone release, appetite, glucose homeostasis, metabolism, immune function, neurotransmitter activity, cognitive function and neurodegeneration. Bringing all of this information together in the first comprehensive text on the topic, Ghrelin in Health and Disease provides a state-of-the-art synthesis of the latest work in this area for physicians and physician-scientists. This volume addresses the unique property of ghrelin as a modulator of function. Such a property provides potential utility for safe intervention in a wide variety of disease states. Indeed as we learn more about the basic physiology of ghrelin, the potential for treating new disease targets emerge requiring validation in the clinic. Each chapter in this volume is authored by a leading investigator in the field. The introductory chapter sets the background for the book and provides a superb overview of the relevance of ghrelin to physiology, describing how the discovery of ghrelin has prompted us to completely rethink traditional physiology. The authors conclude their chapters by critically addressing the future translational aspects of ghrelin biology and outlining what key basic research and clinical questions remain to be addressed. An invaluable resource, Ghrelin in Health and Disease distinguishes itself as the first comprehensive title covering all of the molecular and clinical issues relating to ghrelin and advancing our clinical understanding of obesity, growth, and reproductive pathogenesis.

In 1925, J. B. Collip (1925) reported that extracts of parathyroid gland contained an activity that raised calcium levels in the blood of parathyroidectomized animals, and suggested that this was due to a hormone produced in the parathyroid gland. The story of parathyroid hormone discovery was indicative of ever-increasing sophistication in sample preparation and protein isolation techniques. This paper resolved earlier controversies over the function of the parathyroid glands and c- trol of blood calcium. The year 1961 was a banner year for parathyroid research, in which the peptides parathyroid hormone and calcitonin were purified, and in which it was suggested that calcitonin could lower blood calcium (Copp and Cameron 1961). In 1982 it was discovered that in neurons the primary RNA transcript for calcitonin could be alternatively-spliced to give calcitonin gene-reated peptide (CGRP), and shortly thereafter amylin (previously named islet amyloid polyp- tide, IAPP) was identified and shown to have homology to CGRP. Since then a and b CGRP have been delineated and adrenomedullin and intermedin discovered, and this family of homologous peptides has emerged. This family of peptide hormones has a diverse and constantly expanding range of important physiologic functions, including regulation of blood calcium, vascular tension, feeding behavior and pain recognition.

Genomics in Endocrinology focuses on exciting new advances in endocrinology resulting from DNA microarray studies and includes a comprehensive introduction to the use of DNA microarrays in endocrinology. The text provides the basis for further understanding of the usefulness of microarray analyses in endocrinology research. Topics discussed include the methodology of DNA microarrays and general methods for the analysis of microarray data.

In the mid 1990s, Drs. Gerald Reaven identified a constellation of clinical findings, known variously as the metabolic syndrome, syndrome X, insulin resistance s- drome or insulin resistance-related disorders, that are associated with an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. Interest in this topic grew rapidly, culminating in the publication by this series of the book, Insulin Resistance and the Metabolic Syndrome X, edited by Drs. Reaven and Laws in 1999. Since the original publication of that now classic volume, the world's population has continued to become more obese and sedentary and the prevalence of disorders related to insulin resistance has continued to increase throughout the developed and developing world. Of great concern in the last decade is the extension of these deleterious lifestyle patterns to the pediatric population, leading to both obesity and the appearance of insulin resistance-related disorders in youth as well as adults. Today, about one in three children and adolescents in the United States is overweight or obese, and this prevalence approaches one in two among adolescents in certain minority groups. In addition, components of this cardiovascular risk constellation are now being recognized in young adults, adolescents, and even children. Youth are increasingly developing type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, hypertriglyceridemia, hypertension, polycystic ovarian syndrome, sleep apnea, orthopedic and psychiatric complications, as well as other complications of obesity and insulin resistance.

This book provides critical insights into and appraisals of recent breakthroughs in type 1 diabetes modulation, with a particular emphasis on the potential impact of current prevention and treatment strategies. It also discusses recent successes and failures in clinical trials. Presenting an comprehensive overview of the disease, it is especially useful for newcomers in the field. It also includes illustrations, which make it easy for the reader to grasp the basic concepts involved. Furthermore, the tables include concise and easy-to-understand information on current clinical trials.

An essential reference for any laboratory working in the analytical fluorescence glucose sensing field. The increasing importance of these techniques is typified in one emerging area by developing non-invasive and continuous approaches for physiological glucose monitoring. This volume incorporates analytical fluorescence-based glucose sensing reviews, specialized enough to be attractive to professional researchers, yet appealing to a wider audience of scientists in related disciplines of fluorescence.

Hormone Receptors in Breast Cancer provides an up-to-date resource of the role of hormone receptors in breast cancer written in depth for both the basic molecular academic researcher and translational scientist. Advances in basic science of molecular endocrinology have undoubtedly been translated into clinical practice, and clinicians caring for this disease need to be knowledgeable about these developments. The molecular basis of hormone action has been elucidated, and the relative significance of the different estrogen and progesterone receptor isoforms has been explored. This explosion of information has lead to exciting new areas of gene specific targeting of the disease, and breast cancer prevention. Paradigm shifts in treatment options and sequencing have recently occurred in breast cancer management, necessitating close cooperation and communication between translational scientists and physicians. This book is focused on providing this communication.

This volume features contributions from participants of an ESRF Workshop on "Systems Biology" held in Berkeley, USA, in November 2005. Significant progress has been made in developing technologies that enable systems interrogations at a molecular level. Recent successes and challenges of applying systems level measurements to the different steps of drug discovery and development in the pharmaceutical industry are summarized.

As a result of the rapidly growing rate of obesity worldwide, clinicians are struggling to provide the best strategies for treating obese patients with concomitant pulmonary conditions. Obesity does not simply change the epidemiology of pulmonary disease; obesity has a profound impact on the pathophysiology of common pulmonary diseases. Obesity affects the severity of asthma, response to treatment, and is likely a major modifier of the phenotype of asthma. Obesity also appears to affect response to pathogens, and as such has a major influence on response to pneumonia, and has a significant impact on outcomes pertaining to acute lung injury in the intensive care unit. Obesity and Lung Disease: A Guide to Management is the first text in the field to cover the full range of issues related to managing obese patients with pulmonary problems. All the relevant conditions, in the context of obesity, are covered, including airway inflammation, sleep apnea, asthma, pulmonary hypertension, obesity hypoventilation, as well as others. Written by an international group of experts, this important new volume is an invaluable resource for all clinicians and scientists concerned with the challenging problems surrounding obesity and lung diseases.

The prevalence of hypertension is almost three times as high as that of diabetes mellitus type 2, with both conditions being major risk factors for stroke, ischemic heart disease, cardiac arrhythmias, and heart failure. The exact prevalence of hypertension related to hormonal derangements (endocrine hypertension) is not known but estimated to affect less than 15% of hypertensive patients. Recent scientific discoveries have increased the understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanisms of hypertension. In Endocrine Hypertension, a renowned panel of experts provides a comprehensive, state-of-the-art overview of this disorder, discussing when to assign an endocrine cause in one of many conditions that may present with hypertension. The first part of Endocrine Hypertension is dedicated to adrenal causes. The second part of the volume concerns potential nonadrenal causes of hypertension, such as growth hormone excess or deficiency, primary hyperparathyroidism, vitamin D deficiency, testosterone deficiency, insulin resistance, obesity-associated hypertension, and the role of central mineralocorticoid receptors and cardiovascular disease. An important contribution to the literature, Endocrine Hypertension is an indispensable reference not only for endocrinologists, diabetologists, and adrenal investigators, but also for translational scientists and clinicians from cardiology, internal medicine, pediatrics, family medicine, geriatrics, urology, and reproductive medicine / gynecology.

Why sex matters Among human and nonhuman animals, the prevalence and intensity of infection typically is higher in males than females and may reflect differences in exposure as well as susceptibility to pathogens. Elevated immunity among females is a double-edged sword in which it is beneficial against infectious diseases but is detrimental in terms of increased development of autoimmune diseases. The present book critically reviews the evolutionary origin and the functional mechanisms responsible for sexual dimorphism in response to infection. It emphasizes the value of examining responses in both males and females to improve our understanding about host-pathogen interactions in both sexes. The contributors are experts in their specific disciplines which range from microbiology and immunology to genetics, pathology, and evolutionary biology. The book aims at bringing insight to the treatment and management of infectious diseases; it delineates areas where knowledge is lacking and highlights future avenues of research.

Creating clinical guidelines is a modern trend. Published studies pertaining to a given theme are collected, their credibility evaluated, and then treatment options in the form of evidence-based guidelines are offered. There are a number of guidelines for the treatment of thyroid tumors that have established positions in clinical practice in North America and in Western European countries. In Japan, however, where radioisotope facilities are of limited availability, treatment plans for differentiated thyroid cancer differ considerably from those of America and Europe, and the associated clinical guidelines need modification before they can be adopted. In addition, although thyroid tumor is a common disease in endocrine practice, its management can differ even among specialists. Thus, a Japanese clinical guideline for the treatment of thyroid tumor was desired by many clinicians. As a combination of evidence-based and consensus-based guidelines for the treatment of thyroid tumor, this book offers alternatives to conventional approaches in the West. Ultimately, the authors hope the guideline will lead to the best possible treatment for patients all over the world in the not-distant future.

The first report that rapid eye movements occur in sleep in humans was published in 1953. The research journey from this point to the realization that sleep consists of two entirely independent states of being (eventually labeled REM sleep and non-REM sleep) was convoluted, but by 1960 the fundamental duality of sleep was well established including the description of REM sleep in cats associated with "wide awake" EEG patterns and EMG suppression. The first report linking REM sleep to a pathology occurred in 1961 and a clear association of sleep onset REM periods, cataplexy, hypnagogic hallucinations and sleep paralysis was fully established by 1966. When a naive individual happens to observe a full-blown cataplexy attack, it is both dramatic and unnerving. Usually the observer assumes that the loss of muscle tone represents syncope or seizure. In order to educate health professionals and the general public, Christian Guilleminault and I made movies of full-blown cataplectic episodes (not an easy task). We showed these movies of cataplexy attacks to a number of professional audiences, and were eventually rewarded with the report of a similar abrupt loss of muscle tone in a dog. We were able to bring the dog to Stanford University and with this as the trigger, we were able to develop the Stanford Canine Narcolepsy Colony. Breeding studies revealed the genetic determinants of canine narcolepsy, an autosomal recessive gene we termed canarc1. Emmanuel Mignot took over the colony in 1986 and began sequencing DNA, finally isolating canarc1 in 1999.

This book discusses both the beneficial and harmful aspects of NO in biology and medicine, and also introduces the emerging discovery of artemisinin in antitumor, antibacterial infection, anti-inflammation, and antiaging contexts. In 1992 nitric oxide (NO) was voted "Molecule of the Year" by Science magazine, and the discovery of its physiological roles has led to Nobel Prize-winning work in neuroscience, physiology and immunology. The book explains why we should maintain a steady-state NO level that is derived from neuronal or epithelial NO synthase, and avoid the extremely high NO level resulting from inducible NO synthase. The book offers a valuable resource for medical chemists, clinicians, biologists and all those interested in health and disease.

The current age of clinical medicine is witnessing biotechnological innovation at an unprecedented pace. As a result, the recently popularized clinical practice guidelines (CPG), as a tool to assist clinical decision-making, have been struggling to keep up. Thyroid Cancer: From Emergent Biotechnology to Clinical Practice Guidelines rides the wave of medical innovation, analyzing current and future CPG, and providing an up-to-date and comprehensive treatise on thyroid cancer, its diagnosis, and treatment. A synthesis of ideas by prominent world experts in the field of thyroid cancer research and clinical practice, Thyroid Cancer covers: Technologically-advanced diagnostic procedures and therapeutic interventions Diagnostic techniques employed in the detection and follow-up of thyroid cancer including ultrasound, needle aspiration techniques, CT, PET, PET-CT, and MRI Basic principles of systems biology, molecular and translational medicine, CPG development, and risk stratification for thyroid cancer How CPG contain knowledge gaps and produce uncertainty Advances in the field, including new surgical techniques, molecular targeted therapies, external beam radiation therapy, and chemotherapy A comprehensive, scientific description of current and future diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for the management of thyroid cancer, this treatise is an indispensible reference for both the specialist and referring physician.

captured for the published proceedings. Nevertheless, the two Supplements to this Journal (also available together as a hard-backed book) do, over the years, embrace many of the major aspects of the study of inborn errors of metabolism and can, particularly with the Short Communications section, be used as a way into the literature on specific new topics. We hope that with judicious selection of material these supplements will continue to provide, as did the Society's earlier annual publications, a balanced record of the present state of the subject in all its facets, a record of interest to those working in allied fields as well as to the specialist. R. J. Pollitt G. M. Addison R. A. Harkness The papers listed below were also presented at the meeting. Scripts were not available by the time of publication. 1. Tangier disease and related disorders of apolipoprotein Al. G. Assmann, Munster. 2. Contribution to Ethics Symposium by M. E. Pembrey, London.

Breast and prostate cancers are both hormone-dependent, at least in some stages of their progression. Hormonal manipulation represents an important therapeutic approach. Although most of breast and prostate cancers initially respond to hormone therapy, most tumors reinitiate to growth. Finally, hormone-resistant and metastatic breast and prostate cancers may develop. Thus, the challenge is the dissection of mechanisms by which steroid receptor signaling pathways continue to influence cell growth and invasiveness. Compelling evidence indicates that steroid hormones elicit non-genomic responses in extra-nuclear compartment of target cells. In this cellular location, steroid-coupled receptors rapidly recruit signaling effectors or scaffold proteins and activate multiple pathways leading to proliferation, survival, migration and invasiveness. The immediate challenge is the dissection of key events regulating the steroid response of target tissues to prevent progression and improve treatment of breast and prostate cancers.

It has been known for over 150 years that hallmarks of inflammation can be observed in the wall of atherosclerotic vessels. It was, however, not clear if this inflammation is the cause or the consequence of atherogenesis. More recently, it has become evident that inflammation mediated both by innate and adaptive immunity is instrumental even in the earliest stages of the development of atherosclerotic lesions, i.e., that it plays an important pathogenetic role. In this volume, international experts in the field discuss the pathogenetic, diagnostic, preventive and possible therapeutic relevance of inflammation in atherogenesis. This book is intended for researchers and physicians in the fields of vascular biology, immunology and atherosclerosis.

Vassopressin, Volume 111, the latest release in the Vitamins and Hormones series, first published in 1943, covers the field of hormone action, vitamin action, X-ray crystal structure, physiology and enzyme mechanisms, with this release focusing on topics relating to hepcidin, bacterial infection, and iron overload, the role of heparan sulfates in hepcidin regulation, hepcidin CDNA and human gene sex hormones, growth factors and hepcidin, HFE gene polymorphisms and hereditary hemochromatosis, hepcidin and il-1beta, hepcidin-ferroportin axis, cardiomyocyte hepcidin, adipocyte iron, leptin and hepcidin, regulators of hepcidin expression, and much more.

This book will be the first that focuses on solely on model organisms for lymphoma. It's editors are internationally recognized in the field.