Vitamin D deficiency, circulating levels lower than 15 ng/ml, is an epidemic disease worldwide with more than a billion people suffering of it in the beginning of the 21-century. Besides its impact on mineral and bone metabolism, these low vitamin D levels are also associated with a diversity of non-skeletal complications, among them cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis, cancer, tuberculosis, and immune system dysfunction. Chronic Kidney Disease is also a very common disease, affecting more than 10% of the world population, ranging from stage 1 to stage 5 before dialysis. Approximately 1% of the population in industrialized countries is affected by end-stage renal disease (ESRD), needing a renal replacement therapy either hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, and ultimately by renal transplantation. Those CKD patients are more susceptible to exhibit reduced vitamin D stocks. Consequently, more than eighty percent of CKD patients have either insufficient or deficient vitamin D levels for multiple reasons.

Advances in itch research have elucidated differences between itch and pain but have also blurred the distinction between them. There is a long debate about how somatic sensations including touch, pain, itch, and temperature sensitivity are encoded by the nervous system. Research suggests that each sensory modality is processed along a fixed, direct-line communication system from the skin to the brain. Itch: Mechanisms and Treatment presents a timely update on all aspects of itch research and the clinical treatment of itch that accompanies many dermatological conditions including psoriasis, neuropathic itch, cutaneous t-cells lymphomas, and systemic diseases such as kidney and liver disease and cancer. Composed of contributions from distinguished researchers around the world, the book explores topics such as: Neuropathic itch Peripheral neuronal mechanism of itch The role of PAR-2 in neuroimmune communication and itch Mrgprs as itch receptors The role of interleukin-31 and oncostatin M in itch and neuroimmune communication Spinal coding of itch and pain Spinal microcircuits and the regulation of itch Examining new findings on cellular and molecular mechanisms, the book is a compendium of the most current research on itch, its prevalence in society, and the problems associated with treatment.

This book provides a comprehensive and systematic review of the latest findings in a wide spectrum of clinically important aspects of chronic kidney disease (CKD), focusing on clinical diagnosis and therapeutics. CKD is a global health problem with a rising morbidity and mortality. The last decade has seen significant improvements in determining the incidence, prevalence, and complications of CKD, mainly thanks to the definitions of CKD developed by the National Kidney Foundation’s Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (K/DOQI). However, increased recognition of CKD has led to awareness of the limitations of its clinical diagnosis and treatment, which are essential to patients’ wellbeing. This book is of particular value not only to nephrologists, but also to general practitioners and residents with an interest in CKD. It offers a well-organized exposition of the current knowledge base. Compared with previously published books on kidney disease and CKD, it has a smaller number of more concise chapters. As a result, readers can easily obtain an overview of the most important topics in CKD. We hope that practitioners will gain as much from reading this practical guide to clinical management of CKD as we have from editing it.

The Textbook of Nephro-Endocrinology is the definitive translational reference in the field of nephro-endocrinology, investigating both the endocrine functions of the kidneys and how the kidney acts as a target for hormones from other organ systems. It offers researchers and clinicians expert, gold-standard analyses of nephro-endocrine research and translation into the treatment of diseases such as anemia, chronic kidney disease (CKD), rickets, osteoporosis, and, hypoparathyroidism. - Investigates both the endocrine functions of the kidneys and how the kidney acts as a target for hormones from other organ systems - Presents a uniquely comprehensive and cross-disciplinary look at all aspects of nephro-endocrine disorders in one reference work - Clear translational presentations by the top endocrinologists and nephrologists in each specific hormone or functional/systems field

Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent today not only among the elderly but pervasively throughout all ages of life.This is due, in part, to systemic diseases that affect vitamin D metabolism, to changes in lifestyle, such as insufficient exposure to sunlight, and to increased use of sunscreen. Apart from the obvious effects of vitamin D deficiency on skeletal metabolism, the problem is assuming even greater significance because observational and interventional studies have linked vitamin D deficiency to cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. This book addresses a variety of important issues that have emerged from this fast-moving area of clinical medicine. The topics include assays of vitamin D and its binding protein, effects on aging and associated complications, primary and secondary states of altered parathyroid hormone secretion, vitamin D in the growing years of children and adolescents, nutritional requirements, and vitamin D as it relates to systemic disorders such as diabetes mellitus. Vitamin D in Clinical Medicine aims to offer new insights, in an evidence-based way, on important issues related to vitamin D. It is written for general practitioners and internists, as well as for endocrinologists, nutritionists, pulmonologists, cardiologists, and oncologists.

This fourth edition of the Oxford Textbook of Clinical Nephrology builds on the success and international reputation of the publication as an important resource for the practising clinician in the field. It provides practical, scholarly, and evidence-based coverage of the full spectrum of clinical nephrology, written by a global faculty of experts. The most relevant and important reference to clinical nephrology, this is an authoritative and comprehensive textbook combining the clinical aspects of renal disease essential to daily clinical practice with extensive information about the underlying basic science and current evidence available. Each section of the textbook has been critically and comprehensively edited under the auspices of a leading expert in the field. This new edition has been significantly expanded and reapportioned to reflect developments and new approaches to topics, and includes treatment algorithms to aid and enhance patient care where possible. The fourth edition offers increased focus on the medical aspects of transplantation, HIV-associated renal disease, and infection and renal disease, alongside entirely new sections on genetic topics and clinical and physiological aspects of fluid/electrolyte and tubular disorders. The emphasis throughout is on marrying advances in scientific research with clinical management. Richly illustrated throughout in full colour, this is a truly modern and attractive edition which reinforces the Oxford Textbook of Clinical Nephrology's position as an indispensable reference work of consistent quality and reliability. Enriched and refined by careful revision, this new edition continues the tradition of excellence. This print edition of The Oxford Textbook of Clinical Nephrology comes with a year's access to the online version on Oxford Medicine Online. By activating your unique access code, you can read and annotate the full text online, follow links from the references to primary research materials, and view, enlarge and download all the figures and tables. Oxford Medicine Online is mobile optimized for access when and where you need it.

This translational text offers in-depth reviews of the metabolic and nutritional disorders that are prevalent in patients with renal disease. Chapter topics address the growing epidemic of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Each chapter integrates basic and clinical approaches, from cell biology and genetics to diagnosis, patient management and treatment. Chapters in sections 4-7 include new illustrative case reports, and all chapters emphasize key concepts with chapter-ending summaries. New features also include the latest National Kidney Foundation Clinical Practice Guidelines on Nutrition in Chronic Renal Failure, the most recent scientific discoveries and the latest techniques for assessing nutritional status in renal disease, and literature reviews on patients who receive continuous veno-venous hemofiltration with or without dialysis. - Provides a common language for nephrologists, nutritionists, endocrinologists, and other interested physicians to discuss the underlying research and translation of best practices for the nutritional management and prevention of renal disease - Saves clinicians and researchers time in quickly accessing the very latest details on nutritional practice as opposed to searching through thousands of journal articles - Correct diagnosis (and therefore correct treatment) of renal, metabolic, and nutritional disorders depends on a strong understanding of the molecular basis for the disease – both nephrologists and nutritionists will benefit - Nephrologists and nutritionists will gain insight into which treatments, medications, and diets to use based on the history, progression, and genetic make-up of a patient - Case Reports will offer an added resource for fellows, nutritionists, and dieticians who need a refresher course