Calcium Homoeostasis

The aim of this book is to provide a simple and straightforward account of the physiological mechanisms which regulate the concentration of calcium in the extracellular fluid and the diseases which upset the homeostasis of calcium. This new edition has been extensively revised and updated. The book includes recent advances in the identification of factors which cause hypercalcemia (such as the PTH-related protein, transforming growth factor alpha, lymphotoxin, tumour necrosis factor and interleukin-1) and their potential role in normal calcium homeostasis as well as in other diseases. The book examines the way in which extracellular fluid calcium is maintained by fluxes of calcium which occur between the extracellular fluid, bone and the kidney.