Abstract
By J Laycock, K Meeran. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2013.
396 pp., Price £37.50 (paperback)
ISBN: 978-0-470-68812-0
Integrated Endocrinology is designed to provide a detailed introduction to endocrinology to students undertaking biomedical science, pharmacology and preclinical medicine courses. The book intends to combine the basic science that underpins hormone secretion and action with the clinical and pathophysiological aspects of endocrine disease.
Initial chapters cover in detail the pharmacological basis of hormone receptor interaction and intracellular second-messenger signalling systems, with subsequent chapters undertaking a systematic run-through of the major endocrine tissues, relating physiology to hormone signalling and the processes that lead to endocrine dysfunction. At the end of each chapter there are one or two clinical scenarios to illustrate and reinforce concepts that are discussed. There are also several sections that cover up-to-date areas of research that are not widely appreciated by non-specialists in endocrinology and that do not (yet) form a part of current clinical practice.
Overall, Integrated Endocrinology provides a valuable foundation for understanding the physiology behind endocrine disease. The text itself is written in easy to understand English and is complemented by numerous diagrams that include both basic anatomy of endocrine tissues and representations of the hormone pathways involved. Descriptions of the cell science aspects in particular are thoroughly dealt with, and the sections describing gonadal control of hormone secretion are also worthy of specific mention.
In general, discussion of endocrine pathophysiology is clear if not overly detailed, and the end-of-chapter clinical cases are kept to a relatively basic level. Healthcare professionals looking for a reference text to aid with interpretation of clinical results would be best advised to seek other clinical biochemistry or endocrinology texts. However, sections describing the less commonly encountered hormones offer a brief but well-described synopsis from which further reading can be undertaken. A relatively minor criticism is that some of the diagrams tend to be a little over complicated, and would in some cases benefit from simplification or clarification. Furthermore, some of the longer written sections would probably benefit from the addition of more subheadings and/or tables to help maintain the readers’ interest and highlight key points. However, taken together, Integrated Endocrinology is a useful starter text for any student wishing to understand the basics of the physiology and cell science behind endocrinological disease.