Markers of Kidney Disease: 11th Bergmeyer Conference, IFCC-Roche Diagnostics Master Discussion, Improving the Clinical Value of Laboratory Data. Foreword.

Today, laboratory medicine is recognized as a science underpinning Medicine as a whole. It has an important role in the diagnostic process, in the monitoring of disease and therapy, and in prevention and risk stratification. The validity and the utility of laboratory tests are continuously under evaluation, and being linked with clinical outcome through the interdisciplinary dialogue between clinicians. Standardization of laboratory measurements, ensuring the interchangeability of results over time and space and allowing results of clinical studies undertaken in different locations or times to be universally applied, are basic in enabling effective cooperation between laboratory workers and clinicians, often producing guidelines for diagnosis and therapeutic intervention. With the main objective of achieving even better comparability and compatibility of laboratory results, leading to improving the clinical value of laboratory information and permitting a common global approach to diseases, the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) organizes Bergmeyer Conferences. This series of IFCC Master Discussions of experts and brainstorming fora started 20 years ago and is still generously sponsored by Roche Diagnostics. The meetings have resulted not only in the theoretical basis for the above-mentioned objectives being summarised, but also in comprehensive reviews of specific, rapidly developing areas of laboratory science. The 11th Bergmeyer Conference was entitled ‘‘Markers of Kidney Disease’’ and focused on epidemiological, clinical, analytical (including standardization) issues and future trends. Kidney disease is now a major health problem; the incidence and prevalence of end-stage renal disease and kidney failure treated by dialysis and transplantation have increased significantly during the past 25 years. With this in mind, the development of best practice in relation to detection and management of kidney disease, in the hope of slowing its progression, is therefore an important contribution by which analytically reliable and clinically relevant laboratory tests for evaluation of renal function can take a central role. The Conference programme reflects the multidisciplinary approach in attempts to promote a closer working relationship between laboratory professionals, nephrologists and other clinicians practising in renal medicine. It is significant that so many distinguished scientists representing, among others, guideline setting organizations, governmental bodies, academic centres, hospitals and diagnostic manufacturers have accepted an invitation actively to conduct discussions and gain further insight into this important subject. The lectures and contributions given during the Conference are published in the present volume. The discussions were recorded and put in their proper context by Janet Smith. Anders Kallner again took over the main responsibility for editing the proceedings of this 11th Conference. The success of the Conference would have been impossible without the continuous support of Roche Diagnostics. Franz Baumann and his staff carried the burden of organizing the Conference in Eibsee, near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany, and in achieving the expectations of an outstanding meeting.