Characterization of peripheral T helper 17 (Th17) cells phenotype in postmenopausal women with estrogen insufficiency.

Over the past few years, Th17 cells is considered a key player in osteoporosis pathogenesis. Although extensively studied in murine models, comprehensive Th17 cell characterization in osteoporotic women is elusive. We thus aimed to examine peripheral Th17 cells frequency and phenotypes in healthy and osteoporotic women.

Association of OPG and RANKL gene polymorphisms with bone mineral density in Indian women.

Osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor activator of the NF-kB ligand (RANKL) are key players in bone remodelling. Reports show that OPG and RANKL gene polymorphisms are associated with osteoporosis and fracture risk. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of 5 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in OPG and RANKL gene on bone mineral density (BMD) in Indian women.

Age-related changes and reference intervals of RANKL, OPG, and bone turnover markers in Indian women.

Unlabelled: RANKL and OPG are cytokines involved in bone remodeling that makes them potential bone biomarkers. The reference interval for these cytokines, their ratio, and bone turnover markers CTX and PINP were established in Indian women, which may serve in diagnosis and management of osteoporosis.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to establish reference interval for RANKL, OPG, RANKL/OPG, and bone turnover markers CTX and PINP in healthy Indian women.

Increased frequency of Th17 cells and IL-17 levels are associated with low bone mineral density in postmenopausal women.

Osteoporosis is one of the chronic and often neglected bone diseases in aging postmenopausal women that affect the quality of life. Studies on ovariectomized mice models indicated the reciprocal role of Th17 cells and Treg cells in the aetiology of osteoporosis. While Th17 cells promote osteoclastogenesis, Treg cells exhibit anti-osteoclastogenic activity.

Screening and Assessment of Bone Health in Indian Women Using an Indigenous ELISA of Human Osteocalcin a Bone Turnover Marker.

Osteoporosis a major public health problem of the elderly, is associated with substantial morbidity and socio economic burden. The aim of the study was to screen women with low bone mass using the indigenously developed Osteocalcin (OC) ELISA kit and compare it with commercial ELISA kit and evaluate. The diagnostic potential of the assay was assessed in 359 samples from neighboring tertiary care hospitals over a period of 2 years.

Effect of Vitamin D Levels on Bone Remodeling in Healthy Women.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent among Indian women. Subclinical vitamin D deficiency is a significant risk factor for osteopenia and fractures. However, its effect on bone metabolism and bone mineral density (BMD) is still debatable.

Estrogen receptor α and β gene polymorphism in relation to bone mineral density and lipid profile in Northeast Indian women.

Estrogen regulates bone homeostasis and has a cardio-protective effect. Its physiological functions are mediated through receptors (ER) whose expression can be regulated by presence or absence of polymorphisms. However, the association between ER polymorphisms and BMD as well as lipids are inconsistent.

Development of an in house ELISA for human intact osteocalcin and its utility in diagnosis and management of osteoporosis.

Background: Serum Osteocalcin (OC) is a biomarker for evaluating bone turnover in humans. Commercial kits of OC in India are imported, hence the associated high cost prohibits their use in routine screening of osteoporosis. The present study describes the development, validation of human OC ELISA and establishes cut off values for its use in screening and management of women at risk for osteoporosis.

Association of high-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, and homocysteine with bone mineral density in young Indian tribal women.

Unlabelled: This study investigated association between lipids and homocysteine (Hcy) with bone mineral density (BMD) in young women as opposed to previous studies on elderly women. HDL, triglyceride, and Hcy are significantly associated with BMD in young women and tobacco and alcohol consumption have no effect on this association.

Purpose: The present study investigates whether the association of serum lipids and homocysteine (Hcy) with bone mineral density (BMD) reported mostly in elderly population can be generalized to young or premenopausal women, consequently suggesting screening of young women with low BMD for dyslipidemia or any cardiovascular events and vice versa.

Pediatric Endocrinology in India: Development, Progress, Problems and Challenges.

The exponential growth of biological sciences and biotechnology has promoted the development of subspecialties / super specialties in medicine. In developing countries, socioeconomic factors influence and determine competing health priorities, often delaying the development of subspecialties in medicine. Tracing the history of development and progress of Endocrinology in general and Pediatric Endocrinology in particular, provides an overall perspective of the problems and challenges which lie ahead.

Succinylcholine for Emergency Airway Rescue in Class B Ambulatory Facilities: The Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia Position Statement.

Procedures in class B ambulatory facilities are performed exclusively with oral or IV sedative-hypnotics and/or analgesics. These facilities typically do not stock dantrolene because no known triggers of malignant hyperthermia (ie, inhaled anesthetics and succinylcholine) are available. This article argues that, in the absence of succinylcholine, the morbidity and mortality from laryngospasm can be significant, indeed, higher than the unlikely scenario of succinylcholine-triggered malignant hyperthermia.

Serum levels of phosphorylated heat shock protein 27 (pHSP27) are associated with bone mineral density in pre- & postmenopausal women: A pilot study.

Background & Objectives: Phosphorylated heat shock protein 27 (pHSP27) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. oxidative stress and proinflammatory cytokines, which are known to be involved in aetiology of osteoporosis, can trigger HSP27 phosphorylation. Since pHSP27 is present in circulation, it was hypothesized that serum pHSP27 would be elevated in low bone mineral density (BMD) condition and might serve as an indicator of osteoporosis/osteopenia.

Influence of bone mineral density measurement on fracture risk assessment tool® scores in postmenopausal Indian women.

Aim: Fracture risk assessment tool® calculations can be performed with or without addition of bone mineral density; however, the impact of this addition on fracture risk assessment tool® scores has not been studied in Indian women. Given the limited availability and high cost of bone mineral density testing in India, it is important to know the influence of bone mineral density on fracture risk assessment tool® scores in Indian women. Therefore, our aim was to assess the contribution of bone mineral density in fracture risk assessment tool® outcome in Indian women.

Monocyte Proteomics Reveals Involvement of Phosphorylated HSP27 in the Pathogenesis of Osteoporosis.

Peripheral monocytes, precursors of osteoclasts, have emerged as important candidates for identifying proteins relevant to osteoporosis, a condition characterized by low Bone Mineral Density (BMD) and increased susceptibility for fractures. We employed 4-plex iTRAQ (isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification) coupled with LC-MS/MS (liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry) to identify differentially expressed monocyte proteins from premenopausal and postmenopausal women with low versus high BMD. Of 1801 proteins identified, 45 were differentially abundant in low versus high BMD, with heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) distinctly upregulated in low BMD condition in both premenopausal and postmenopausal categories.

Development of an ELISA for sPSP94 and utility of the sPSP94/sPSA ratio as a diagnostic indicator to differentiate between benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer.

Background: The serum PSA (sPSA) test has low specificity for prostate cancer (PCa), since sPSA also rises in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Serum PSP94 (sPSP94), a major secreted prostate protein, is indicated as a PCa marker. The potential of sPSP94 and sPSA in conjunction with each other to improve specificity of diagnostic test for PCa needs to be evaluated.

24-month use of once-weekly GH, LB03002, in prepubertal children with GH deficiency.

Background: Sustained-release GH formulations may provide a strategy for improving treatment compliance and persistence in GH-deficient patients.

Objective: The aim of the study was to examine efficacy and safety of LB03002, a sustained-release GH formulation for once-weekly administration.

Design: We conducted a phase III, 12-month, multinational, randomized, open-label, comparator-controlled trial with a 12-month uncontrolled extension.

Congenital hypothyroidism: Screening dilemma.

Primary sporadic congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is the most common cause of hypothyroidism infancy early childhood in iodine sufficient region. Screening for neonatal CH began in 1970s. The rationale and reason for neonatal screening for CH (NSCH) are well established.

Molecular genetic studies in isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD).

Objective: To screen Isolated Growth Hormone Deficiency (IGHD) patients with congenital Familial Isolated (FIGHD) and Nonfamilial Isolated Growth Hormone Deficiency (NFIGHD) for GH1gene deletions (6.7 kb,7.6 kb,7 kb) and Growth hormone releasing hormone receptor GHRHR(E72X) gene mutation and study genotype/phenotype correlation in this multicentre study.

Serum 17 alpha hydroxyprogesterone in normal full term and preterm vs sick preterm and full term newborns in a tertiary hospital.

Objectives: To determine the variables affecting serum 17 hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) in neonates born at a tertiary hospital in Mumbai, India.

Methods: Serum 17OHP was measured in peripheral venous blood between 3rd to 5th day of life by competitive radioimmunoassay and on follow up at 3 mo of age. Serum 17OHP was compared among four groups [full term healthy(FT), full term stressed(FS), preterm healthy(PT), preterm stressed(PS)] by non-parametric tests (Kruskal Wallis (KW) test and Mann- Whitney (MW) test).

Growth hormone (GH-1) gene deletions in children with isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD).

Objective: To detect growth hormone GH-1 gene deletions (6.7 kb, 7.6 kb, 7 kb) in familial/nonfamilial isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) and note their clinical and investigative profile.

T-bet controls severity of hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (HP) is an interstitial lung disease that develops following repeated exposure to inhaled environmental antigens. The disease is characterized by alveolitis, granuloma formation and in some patients' fibrosis. IFNγ plays a critical role in HP; in the absence of IFNγ granuloma formation does not occur.

Genome-wide homozygosity analysis reveals HADH mutations as a common cause of diazoxide-responsive hyperinsulinemic-hypoglycemia in consanguineous pedigrees.

Context And Objective: Recessive mutations in the hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HADH) gene encoding the enzyme 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase are a rare cause of diazoxide-responsive hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia (HH) with just five probands reported to date. HADH deficiency in the first three identified patients was associated with detectable urinary 3-hydroxyglutarate and raised plasma 3-hydroxybutyryl-carnitine levels, but two recent cases did not have abnormal urine organic acids or acylcarnitines.

Research Design And Methods: We studied 115 patients with diazoxide-responsive HH in whom the common genetic causes of HH had been excluded.