Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH) has been recognized for over a century. This mysterious disease is now understood at the level of the gene and the protein. The pathophysiology is related to a class of cell surface proteins with distinctive biochemical and physical characteristics. Recently it has been acknowledged that PNH is not rare, and once sensitive assays--based on the chemistry of the proteins--can be applied to many patients.Written by international experts in the field, this book includes a number of distinctive characteristics, such as the clinical features of PNH, the mechanism of hemolysis, the biochemistry of glycosylphosphoinositol anchors, and the chemistry and biophysics of GPI-anchored proteins.This unique and timely volume will have a wide audience, including hematologists and oncologists with a clinical interest in this disease, as well as basic biochemists, immunologists, and cell biologists studying this class of proteins. - Outlines the chemical features of PNH - Explains the mechanism of hemolysis - Includes work on the biochemistry of glycophosphoinositol anchors - Contains descriptions of the chemistry and biophysics of GPI-anchored proteins