The newcomer to the field of clinical chemistry is faced with the
daunting prospect of understanding the ever increasing aspects of the
subject: new techniques, tests, terminology, methods of diagnosing
diseases and other advances which relate to clinical chemistry. The aim
of this book is to provide basic information regarding all branches of
the subject which the trainee will need to understand. The book should
also provide a basis for answering many of the examination questions of
clinical chemistry. It is therefore hoped that this book will prove
useful to any person starting a career in clinical chemistry, be that
person a laboratory scientific officer, graduate or trainee pathologist.
Wherever possible, suggestions for further reading are given. Many
subjects are so broad however that the reader is referred to the general
list of analytical and clinical textbooks supplied at the end of the
book. My grateful thanks are extended to the three ladies who typed this
manuscript: Christine Cliffe, Margaret Donnelly and Judith Hardy. I
would like to thank Dr Brian Wisdom of Queens University, Belfast for
his suggestions on the entry "Enzyme-immunoassay". Finally my thanks go
to Mr Martin Lister of MTP Press for his help and encouragement in this
venture. W. H. ASHTON-UNDER-L YNE APRIL 1980 vii A ABETALIPOPROTEINAEMIA
A rare hereditary disorder in which there is a complete absence of
j3-lipoprotein, pre: f3-1ipoprotein and chylomicrons. It presents
clinically as ataxia and malabsorption with steatorrhoea. Thorny shaped
erythrocytes (acanthocytes) are a feature of the disease.
