This volume in the Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology Series is dedicated to developing an overall view of the "state-of- the-art" of knowledge in the field of phospholipase A2 and to exploring the role and function of this enzyme in various inflammatory diseases. This book grew out of two major symposia on phospholipase A2 held in 1989: I). "Phospholipase A2: Pathophysiological Role of Soluble and Membrane-Bound Enzymes" organized by Dr. Doug Morgan and Dr. Ann Welton of Hoffmann-La Roche and sponsored by the New York Academy of Sciences (January 24, 1989). II). "Release and...