Clinical biochemistry (also known as clinical chemistry or chemical pathology) is about body chemistry, mainly body fluids. It encompasses the use of biomedical techniques in the study of disease processes and the diagnosis and management of disease. Research increasingly reveals a biochemical basis to disease, so clinical biochemistry increasingly impinges on every surgical and medical specialty. This is a comprehensive postgraduate text covering the metabolic and clinical aspects of the whole of clinical biochemistry. It will help the clinical biochemist to liaise with the clinician in planning appropriate tests and interpreting the results, many chapters are written jointly by a clinician and clinical biochemist to reflect the clinical emphasis of the text. Analytical methodology is touched upon, however the bulk of the book concentrates on clinical aspects. In common with many other diagnostic specialties clinical biochemistry now uses an increasing number of techniques involving the 'new biology', these will be covered in this book. Short annotated lists of Further Reading are included and the contributors have indicated their 'best buys' for further study in each chapter. The editor has selected contributors with extensive practical experience in their fields, and many have proven writing ability. Given the editor's own experience of textbook writing, he has endeavoured to support the text with as much display material (eg graphics, tables and illustration) as possible. All these factors make the book accessible as well as authoritative. The book will be invaluable for readers studying for examinations in clinical biochemistry (for example, MSc degrees and the Membership of the Royal College of Pathologists) and also fills a gap in the literature as a clinically oriented reference for clinical biochemists in career posts. In addition, it will be read by clinicians in other specialties where clinical biochemistry constitutes an important part of th e subject, for example nephrology.