Mohammed S. Razzaque Livres

The enormous progress made during the last decade has resulted in a better conceptual understanding of mineral ion metabolism in general. With regard to chronic kidney disease, the two most affected nutrients are phosphate and vitamin D. This book provides an overview of the physiological aspects of phosphate and vitamin D metabolism, and how their pathological dysregulation facilitates advancement of chronic kidney disease. It looks into the complex molecular and organ cross-talks during disease progression that range from the involvement of fibroblast growth factor (FGF23)-klotho system to impaired phosphate transport to hormonal dysfunctions of PTH and vitamin D. Each chapter clearly presents the clinically and biologically important problems and lists the key unsolved issues related to chronic kidney disease and beyond. Illustrations explaining multi-factorial and multi-organ interactions provide an easy outline for the reader to appreciate the complex biological pathways. For those without prior familiarity with the subject matter, this volume may serve as a quick reference to get updated information on phosphate and vitamin D metabolism.

Heat shock proteins are a distinctive class of proteins that have evolved to cope with stress and to provide cellular defense against a wide range of cell injuries. Cellular stress responses include a transient rearrangement of functional activities in order to protect and maintain essential cellular functions. The science of stress responses in various renal diseases is a new and still evolving medical discipline which offers the prospect of new alternate therapeutic options. This publication provides basic information about the important role of stress proteins in several renal diseases, ranging from hypoxic injuries to fibrotic renal disorders and tumors. Each chapter is written in a clear but concise style and includes illustrations necessary to highlight essential biological pathways which have been discovered during the past few years. Providing an overview of contemporary issues, this book will be a useful reference book for clinicians and basic researchers in the fields of cell biology, pathology and nephrology who are either involved in dealing with patients suffering from various renal diseases or in defining various stress responses during tissue injury and subsequent organ damage.

This publication provides a synopsis of the rapid progress made in the field of renal cell biology during the last decade, progress which has resulted in a better conceptual understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of fibrotic renal disease. These developments have provided new therapeutic choices and led to the discovery of gene-based therapeutic options. The topics covered in this book have been carefully selected from the immense number of aspects of the disease to provide essential information on the molecular basis of renal fibrosis. Individual chapters discuss topics such as proteinuria and tubulointerstitial injury, the roles and regulation of TGF-beta, chemokines, oxidant stress, matrix remodeling, significance of renal expression of NF-kappa, and the potential impact of cell death in renal fibrosis. Written so as to present the complex information as simply as possible, this publication will be a very useful tool for general health professionals involved in the fields of immunology and cell biology, as well as for clinicians and researchers within the fields of nephrology, pathology and matrix biology.