Clinical Application of the Ratio of Serum Bone Isoform to Total Alkaline Phosphatase in General Practice.

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is an enzyme that is expressed in a variety of tissues. Among the isoforms of ALP, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP) is used as a marker for evaluating bone metabolism. We investigated the clinical usefulness of the ratio of serum BAP to total ALP for the diagnosis of various disorders in general practice.

Risk Factors for Low Bone Mineral Density Determined in Patients in a General Practice Setting.

Osteoporosis increases the risk of bone fractures. It is diagnosed based on an individual's bone mineral density (BMD) or a fracture without trauma. BMD is usually measured by the dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) method.

Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis Caused by a Home Ultrasonic Humidifier Contaminated with Candida guilliermondii.

We herein report the first documented case of acute hypersensitivity pneumonitis in which Candida guilliermondii was the possible causative organism. A young Japanese woman presented to our hospital with relapsing respiratory symptoms accompanied by high fever. A detailed interview revealed that the onset of the symptoms occurred shortly after using a humidifier in her home.

The role of degradant profiling in active pharmaceutical ingredients and drug products.

Forced degradation studies are used to facilitate the development of analytical methodology, to gain a better understanding of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and drug product (DP) stability, and to provide information about degradation pathways and degradation products. In order to fulfill development and regulatory needs, this publication provides a roadmap for when and how to perform studies, helpful tools in designing rugged scientific studies, and guidance on how to record and communicate results.