Osteoporosis: Investigations and Monitoring.

Background: Osteoporosis is characterized by microarchitectural disruption of the bone, decrease in bone mineral density, and increased skeletal fragility and risk of fracture. Osteoporosis occurs due to the decoupling of bone formation and bone resorption, with a significant increase in resorption. This review article focuses on the role of laboratory investigations in the diagnosis and monitoring of treatment in patients with osteoporosis.

Prevalence of LTBI in patients with autoimmune diseases and accuracy of IGRA in predicting TB relapse.

Objectives: The current study evaluated latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) positivity in a cohort of Indian subjects and the accuracy of IFN-gamma release assay (IGRA) in predicting tuberculosis (TB) reactivation.

Methods: This cross-sectional, retrospective chart-based study considered patients diagnosed with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRDs), especially those who received treatment with biologics or targeted synthetic (ts)DMARDs. The patients had undergone LTBI screening and IGRA test.

Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges in Ocular Histoplasmosis - A Case Report.

To report a rare case of skin biopsy proven Histoplasma panuveitis. Observational case report of a 76-year-old Asian Indian man presented as panuveitis. Clinical course, diagnostic and treatment difficulties and confocal microscopy findings were studied.

Alteration of skin hydration and its barrier function by vehicle and permeation enhancers: a study using TGA, FTIR, TEWL and drug permeation as markers.

Vehicles and permeation enhancers (PEs) used in transdermal drug delivery (TDD) of a drug can affect skin hydration, integrity and permeation of the solute administered. This investigation was designed to study the effect of the most commonly used vehicles and PEs on rat skin hydration, barrier function and permeation of an amphiphilic drug, imipramine hydrochloride (IMH). An array of well-established techniques were used to confirm the findings of the study.

Solid-state characterization of nevirapine.

The purpose of this investigation is to characterize nevirapine from commercial samples and samples crystallized from different solvents under various conditions. The solid-state behavior of nevirapine samples was investigated using a variety of complementary techniques such as microscopy (optical, polarized, hot stage microscopy), differential scanning calorimeter, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffractometry. The commercial samples of nevirapine had the same polymorphic crystalline form with an anhedral crystal habit.