A compendium of consensus papers, guidelines and research summaries Associated with both acute kidney injury (AKI) and cardio-renal syndromes (CRS), new biomarkers represent both a popular area of investigation and a new opportunity for advancement of therapy. This book contains the resolutions of the most recent ADQI conferences on biomarkers in AKI (Dublin) and on cardio-renal syndromes (Venice). The first part answers specific questions about new biomarkers and their use and utility in AKI: What are the most suitable candidate molecules and physiologic measures, how solid and evidence based is the discovery phase? How can we incorporate the new biomarkers in the AKI conceptual model describing the evolution from susceptibility to insult, decreased GFR and organ death? Even if we have a positive biomarker pattern and we can identify patients at risk or patients with early or even subclinical AKI, how is this information affecting our clinical behavior and practice? The second part is dedicated to the appraisal of the current knowledge about the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in different forms of CRS: it contains contributions on the state-of-the-art knowledge and practice of CRS, particularly focusing on the pathophysiology of the five subtypes. Acute and chronic mechanisms of damage are explored in depth, with particular attention to the primacy of organ involvement and the subsequent pathways of organ crosstalk. Presenting the most recent research in the field of biomarkers, AKI and CRS, this publication is an important educational tool for advanced investigators and clinical experts, but also for students and fellows.

RICHARD J. GLASSOCK Introducing a scientific symposium is an uncertain and difficult task. The remarks must not be too specific lest the participant's later contributions be intruded upon, yet an overview of the goals and objectives of the conference should be presented in an inquisitive and stimulating fashion. Perhaps a compromise position would be to make a few general statements and pose a limited number of questions which hopefully would then be addressed dur­ ing the formal or informal portions of the meeting. A conclusion incorpo­ of the relevance of the specific topic to the more rating some perspectives global issues of disease and its consequences might be appropriate. The goals and objectives of this conference, as set forth by its organizers, Professors Ponti celli, D'Amico and Minetti, are rather simple and straight­ forward; namely, to review and elucidate the immunopathophysiology of cryoimmunoglobulins and auto-antibodies to immunoglobulins (lg) and, secondarily, to explore the possible participation of these disordered states in glomerular injury. As such, this conference is principally devoted to an analysis of two properties of certain species of the globulin fraction of serum proteins, specifically the ability to self associate on the basis of immune interactions and to form insoluble aggregates when exposed to reduced ambient temperature. As we shall see, these two properties are often dis­ tinctly related.

This reference work provides a comprehensive review of the most crucial and provocative aspects of pancreas transplantation. It represents a unique source of information and guidance for the current generation of transplant surgeons that evolved from being pure clinicians into savvy administrators knowledgeable in every regulatory aspect governing transplantation. The book contains 15 chapters covering every single aspect of the surgical operation in the donors as well as the recipients of pancreas transplants. The pre-operative workup, as well as the post-operative immunosuppression management, and the treatment of recurrent diseases are addressed in detail. In addition, the book further expands the role of islet cell transplant with its ever increasing prominence, which includes the role of autologous islet cell transplant. The impact of increasing regulatory burdens from the federal government coupled with the economic and health burden of Diabetes mellitus is discussed.

Das Handbuch Angiologie 2010 enthalt die Manuskripte zum Seminar Angiologie Update 2010. Diese berucksichtigen die wesentlichen angiologischen Publikationen der internationalen Literatur des Jahres. Dem Update-Konzept entsprechend sichten die renommierten Autoren die Literatur in den zentralen Kernbereichen der Angiologie, stellen die wichtigsten Ergebnisse vor und kommentieren diese bezuglich ihrer Praxisrelevanz. Somit gibt das Handbuch Angiologie 2010 einen kompakten und aktuellen Uberblick uber die wichtigsten Themen der Angiologie.

The volumes in this series are published annually on the occasion of the International Conference on Dialysis organized by the Renal Research Institute, New York, in cooperation with the ISN, ISPD, NKF and RPA. Among the topics discussed in the current issue are recent developments in dialysis, dialysate and vascular access; vasopressin receptor antagonists in heart failure; the interaction between aldosterone and the extracellular fluid volume in CKD; the management of cardiac disease in the dialysis patient; the cardiorenal syndrome; the use of bioimpedance for volume control in CKD; internal filtration hemodialysis; reduction of hepatitis C viral load by extracorporeal therapy; measurement and significance of bacterial DNA in water and dialysate; temporal evolution of events pre-death in dialysis patients; prenatal causes of kidney disease; current approaches to the critically ill; and lipid metabolism in CKD and its practical implications. Identifying relevant controversial issues as well as areas of recent progress with regard to disease processes or treatment, this publication is a helpful reference tool for both clinicians and basic investigators involved in CKD.

Paul Heiney describes here how one man - defiant, ingenious and stubborn - worked under impossible conditions in a country under the merciless occupation of Nazism to solve the problem of kidney failure and to change the course of human history. That man was Willem Kolff, aged 88 at the time of this book's publication. Tormented by the unnecessary deaths from kidney failure, Kolff determined to use mechanical ingenuity to purify blood. Working with sausage skins and an improbable collection of parts scavenged from factories under the nose of the German occupying forces, he completed the first kidney machine in 1944. It was a milestone in medical history: it is estimated that as many as half a million people in the world today owe their lives to this single invention. Kolff continued his career with pioneering work on the artificial heart. This book, written with Dr Kolff's closest co-operation and family records, celebrates that central story of courage and obsession, and its journey from the old, war-torn world to the new. It explains the science in accessible terms, and explores some of the human stories which developed along the way: the lives prolonged, new chances given to patients as the age of transplantation dawned, and the relationship between medical scientists and the army of technicians who make possible that strangest of 20th-century treatments - the circulation and purifying of the blood outside the human body.

Walter A. Hunt knows what it means to live with kidney disease. Here, he shares his experience and knowledge to help other people with the disease understand and cope with its challenges.

When Hunt learned he had kidney disease, he was overwhelmed by the prospect of facing kidney failure. He had so many questions: Why are my kidneys failing? Is there anything I can do to save them? How will I know when my kidneys have failed? What will it feel like? What treatments are available for me? Is there a cure for kidney failure?

The good news, as Hunt found out, is that kidney failure is highly treatable. People with the disease can lead full and productive lives, and Hunt's readable and empathetic book will help them do just that. It discusses the latest scientific and medical findings about kidney disease, including what kidneys do; the underlying diseases that cause failure; diagnosis, treatment, and prevention; dietary factors; clinical trials; and the future direction of research on kidney failure.

Kidney disease is difficult, but as Hunt's narrative reveals, people living with it can take control of their health and their future. By understanding kidney failure--what causes it, how it may affect their lives, and what treatment options they have--people with the disease can improve their quality of life and achieve the best possible outcome.