Bruno W. Volk – författare

Since the publication of the first edition of The Diabetic Pancreas in 1977, much progress has been made in various areas of diabetes research. While only a rela­ tively short while ago diabetes was considered a single disease, in more recent years it has become apparent that it is a heterogeneous group of disorders, all of which are characterized by a decreased tolerance of carbohydrates and most of which have a genetic basis, although the genetic types vary. In more recent years, an International Work Group sponsored by the National Diabetes Data Group of the NIH proposed a now generally accepted classification, according to which the insulin-dependent ketosis-prone diabetes, formerly and inappropriately called the juvenile type, is considered a subclass of diabetes, type 1. Because it can occur at any age, it was recommended that the diagnosis based on age be eliminated. The non-insulin-dependent, non-keto sis-prone type of diabetes, which is not secondary to other diseases or conditions, and which was formerly called matu­ rity-onset diabetes, was considered a second subclass, type II, because although this form usually develops after age 40, it also occurs in young persons, who do not require insulin or are not ketotic. Although this classification is not entirely agreed upon by all diabetologists, for practical purposes it has been generally accepted and has been utilized by the contributors to this volume.

Since the publication of the first edition of The Diabetic Pancreas in 1977, much progress has been made in various areas of diabetes research. While only a rela­ tively short while ago diabetes was considered a single disease, in more recent years it has become apparent that it is a heterogeneous group of disorders, all of which are characterized by a decreased tolerance of carbohydrates and most of which have a genetic basis, although the genetic types vary. In more recent years, an International Work Group sponsored by the National Diabetes Data Group of the NIH proposed a now generally accepted classification, according to which the insulin-dependent ketosis-prone diabetes, formerly and inappropriately called the juvenile type, is considered a subclass of diabetes, type 1. Because it can occur at any age, it was recommended that the diagnosis based on age be eliminated. The non-insulin-dependent, non-keto sis-prone type of diabetes, which is not secondary to other diseases or conditions, and which was formerly called matu­ rity-onset diabetes, was considered a second subclass, type II, because although this form usually develops after age 40, it also occurs in young persons, who do not require insulin or are not ketotic. Although this classification is not entirely agreed upon by all diabetologists, for practical purposes it has been generally accepted and has been utilized by the contributors to this volume.

Cerebral Sphingolipidoses: A Symposium on Tay-Sach''s Disease and Allied Disorders is a collection of papers presented at the 1961 Symposium on the Cerebral Sphingolipidoses, held in Isaac Albert Research Institute of the Jewish Chronic Disease Hospital and the Downstate Medical Center of the State University of New York. The contributors demonstrate the significance attached to an intensive study of Tay-Sach''s and allied diseases. A unique feature of the Symposium was the constant awareness of the clinical implications of the fundamental studies presented. This book is organized into three sections encompassing 30 chapters. The first part deals with the morphological aspects of cerebral lipidoses, including the diagnosis, biopsy, pathology, and clinical features of these diseases. This part also provides case reports of specific cerebral sphingolipidoses. The second part highlights the biochemical aspects of Tay-Sach''s and allied disorders. This part specifically looks into the mechanism of abnormal lipid metabolism, chemical pathology of lipids, and quantitative fractionation of complex lipid mixtures. This part also considers the characterization of accumulated gangliosides in brain, which is one the most striking features in infantile amaurotic idiocy, a type of Tay-Sach''s disease. The third part explores the genetic and therapeutic aspects of the sphingolipidoses. This book will be of value to lipid chemists, geneticists, biochemists, neuropathologists, and clinicians.