In the last decade, it has become increasingly evident that the clini- cal and morphologic changes underlying many of the complications of diabetes, including cataract formation, retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, and macrovascular disease, are preceded by a variety of disturbances of biochemical and physiologic origin. Dr. Cohen has recently written a superb monograph, entitled Diabetes and Protein Glycosylation: Measurement and Biologic Relevance, in which she thoroughly explores how enhanced nonenzymatic glycosylation in uncontrolled diabetes underscores the pressing need for main- tenance of long-term euglycemia. In the present volume, The Polyol Paradigm and Complications of Diabetes, she reviews, in a most succinct and thorough manner, how another biochemical mechan- ism, involving the polyol pathway, is involved in the pathogenesis of such diabetes complications as retinopathy, neuropathy, nephropa- thy, and cataract formation. Dr. Cohen gives us a clearly written and comprehensive mono- graph, reviewing the chemistry of the polyol pathway and of the aldose reductase inhibitors, and the pathophysiologic significance of increased polyol pathway activity in a variety of tissues affected by Vlll Foreword diabetes mellitus. She insightfully describes the relationship of increased polyol pathway activity to altered metabolism of inositol- containing phospholipids and to changes in various tissue concentra- tions of myo-inositol. Finally, she provides us with a careful review of the existing experimental and clinical studies with a variety of different aldose reductase inhibitors that have been and are being performed in the hope of preventing or reversing long-term compli- cations of diabetes.

In the years since the initial discovery that blood from diabetic patients contains increased amounts of a posttranslationally gluco sylated form of hemoglobin (hemoglobin Ale)' an impressive number of studies have clarified and expanded the use of glycohemoglobin levels to assess disease status. Many other structural proteins have been shown to undergo similar changes, including proteins from tissues most commonly affected in diabetes (e.g., lens, aorta, peripheral nerve, basement membrane). Thus, the nonenzymatic glycosylation of hemoglobin emerges as an invaluable model for the pathogenesis of certain chronic diabetes complications. In addition to reviewing a wealth of investigative possibilities in the area of these chronic complications-including eye, kidney, nerve, and vascular disease-Dr. Cohen indicates how enhanced nonenzymatic glycosylation in uncontrolled diabetes underscores the pressing need for maintenance of long-term euglycemia. Dr. Cohen is an endocrinologist and diabetes specialist whose research activities have largely focused on the chemistry and metabo lism of the basement membrane in diabetes. This superb monograph on nonenzymatic glycosylation clearly shows the major trends of her past and present research and clinical activities. This book is beautifully written and a pleasure to read. It provides great insight into the mechanisms of the pathogenesis of the oom- vii viii Foreword cations of diabetes and should be of immense value not only to basic and clinical investigators, but also to internists, diabetologists, and endocrinologists in clinical practice."