Phosphate and minerals in health and disease

We are pleased to present to our readers the Proceedings of the Fourth International Workshop on Phosphate and Other Minerals which was held in Strasbourg during June 22-24, 1979. It was hosted by Professor Henri Jahn, Professor of Medicine and Chief, Department of Nephrology at the University of Strasbourg. These Workshops have become a tradition in the scientific scene of mineral metabolism. The meetings have been providing a unique framework for close interaction between scientists from various disciplines, such as nephrologists, endocrinologists, biochemists, nutritionists, and those dealing with bone metabolism. The Workshops also created a forum for the delivery of original information, as well as state-of-the-art presentations on exciting topics of current interest in this ever-growing field of phosphate and mineral homeostasis. The Fourth International Workshop was attended by three hundred scientists from 15 countries including Austria, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Holland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States of America. The topics discussed included those dealing with the renal handling of phosphate, calcium and magnesium, intermediary phosphate metabolism and phosphate homeostasis in health and disease. Two symposia were also presented: one dealt with nephrolithiasis and its relation to phosphate and the other with bone metabolism. In addition to 22 presentations by invited speakers, the Workshop provided 46 oral and 93 poster presentations selected from over 250 abstracts submitted to the Organizing Committee. The Fifth International Workshop on Phosphate and Other Minerals will be held during September 24-27, 1981 in New York City, U.S.A. It will be hosted by Dr. Joseph Letteri, Chief, Division of Nephrology, Nassau County Medical Center and Professor of Medicine at the State University of New York at Stoney Brook. The theme of this coming Workshop will continue to focus on the pathophysiology of phosphate homeostasis and the metabolism of other minerals.