Identification of Meibomian gland stem cell populations and mechanisms of aging.

Meibomian glands secrete lipid-rich meibum, which prevents tear evaporation. Aging-related Meibomian gland shrinkage may result in part from stem cell exhaustion and is associated with evaporative dry eye disease, a common condition lacking effective treatment. The identities and niche of Meibomian gland stem cells and the signals controlling their activity are poorly defined.

Real-world use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe real-world use of immune checkpoint inhibitors for women with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer.

Methods: Adult women with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer who received at least one line of systemic treatment between January 1, 2014 and November 1, 2020, then followed to May 31, 2021 in a nationwide electronic health record-derived de-identified database. Chi-Squared test or Welch's 2-sample t-tests were used to compare patient and clinical factors associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment.

The association of histopathologic features after neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy with clinical outcome: Sub-analyses from the randomized double-blinded, placebo-controlled, Phase III IMagyn050/GOG3015/ENGOT-ov39 study.

Objective: Histopathologic characteristics after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) may correlate with outcome. This study evaluates histopathologic features after immunotherapy and NACT/bevacizumab, and associated clinical outcomes.

Methods: Evaluable tissue from IMagyn050/GOG3015/ENGOT-ov39 patients from prespecified anatomic sites from interval cytoreductive surgery (ICS) after NACT/bevacizumab plus atezolizumab/placebo underwent central histopathologic scoring and analyzed with clinical outcomes.

Development and Application of a Multidimensional Database for the Detection of Quaternary Ammonium Compounds and Their Phase I Hepatic Metabolites in Humans.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significantly increased human exposure to the widely used disinfectants quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs). Xenobiotic metabolism serves a critical role in the clearance of environmental molecules, yet limited data are available on the routes of QAC metabolism or metabolite levels in humans. To address this gap and to advance QAC biomonitoring capabilities, we analyzed 19 commonly used QACs and their phase I metabolites by liquid chromatography-ion mobility-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-IM-MS/MS).

Overall survival and patient-reported outcome results from the placebo-controlled randomized phase III IMagyn050/GOG 3015/ENGOT-OV39 trial of atezolizumab for newly diagnosed stage III/IV ovarian cancer.

Objective: To determine the impact on overall survival (OS) and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of combining atezolizumab with standard therapy for newly diagnosed stage III/IV ovarian cancer.

Methods: The placebo-controlled double-blind randomized phase III IMagyn050/GOG 3015/ENGOT-OV39 trial (NCT03038100) assigned eligible patients to 3-weekly atezolizumab 1200 mg or placebo for 22 cycles with platinum-based chemotherapy and bevacizumab. Coprimary endpoints were progression-free survival (already reported) and OS in the PD-L1-positive and intent-to-treat (ITT) populations, tested hierarchically.

Metabolism and pharmacokinetics of vitamin D in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) commonly have lower circulating concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) than healthy populations. We comprehensively compared measures of vitamin D metabolism among individuals with CF and healthy control subjects. In a cross-sectional study, serum from participants with CF (N = 83) and frequency-matched healthy control subjects by age and race (N = 82) were analyzed for: 25(OH)D and 25(OH)D, 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamins D and D (1α,25(OH)D and 1α,25(OH)D), 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (24,25(OH)D), 4β,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (4β,25(OH)D), 25-hydroxyvitamin D-3-sulfate (25(OH)D-S), and 25-hydroxyvitamin D-3-glucuronide (25(OH)D-G).

Two staged phase II clinical trial of Eribulin monotherapy in advanced or recurrent cervical cancer.

Background: Eribulin a microtubule targeting agent and analog of Halichondrin B, a natural product isolated from marine sponge H. okadai, has proven clinical efficacy in metastatic pretreated breast cancer and liposarcoma. We conducted a 2-stage Phase II study of eribulin in patients with advanced/recurrent cervical cancer to examine its clinical activity and evaluate biomarkers for predictors of response.

Primary cilia control cellular patterning of Meibomian glands during morphogenesis but not lipid composition.

Meibomian glands (MGs) are modified sebaceous glands producing the tear film's lipids. Despite their critical role in maintaining clear vision, the mechanisms underlying MG morphogenesis in development and disease remain obscure. Cilia-mediate signals are critical for the development of skin adnexa, including sebaceous glands.

The plasma free fraction of 25-hydroxyvitamin D is not strongly associated with 25-hydroxyvitamin D clearance in kidney disease patients and controls.

Circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration is used to monitor vitamin D status. Plasma protein binding may influence the 25(OH)D dose-response to vitamin D treatment through a direct relationship between the plasma unbound ("free") fraction and clearance of 25(OH)D. We previously evaluated 25(OH)D clearance in relation to kidney function using intravenous administration of deuterium labeled 25(OH)D.

Temporal Patterns and Adoption of Germline and Somatic BRCA Testing in Ovarian Cancer.

Objective: To describe the testing rate, patient characteristics, temporal trends, timing, and results of germline and somatic BRCA testing in patients with ovarian cancer using real-world data.

Methods: We included a cross-sectional subset of adult patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer between January 1, 2011, and November 30, 2018, who received frontline treatment and were followed for at least 1 year in a real-world database. The primary outcome was receipt of BRCA testing, classified by biosample source as germline (blood or saliva) or somatic (tissue).

A longitudinal study of cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) activity during adolescence.

CYP2D6 substrates are among the most highly prescribed medications in teenagers and also commonly associated with serious adverse events. To investigate the relative contributions of genetic variation, growth, and development on CYP2D6 activity during puberty, healthy children and adolescents 7-15 years of age at enrollment participated in a longitudinal phenotyping study involving administration of 0.3 mg/kg dextromethorphan (DM) and 4-h urine collection every 6 months for 3 years (7 total visits).

Pharmacokinetics of 38 Percent Silver Diamine Fluoride in Children.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to measure serum levels and characterize the pharmacokinetics of silver and fluoride in healthy children receiving silver diamine fluoride (SDF) treatment for dental caries lesions.

Methods: Children (three to 13 years old with at least one caries lesion) were recruited at the University of California, San Francisco Pediatric Dental Clinic from August 2019 through March 2020. Blood was obtained at one randomly selected timepoint up to 168 hours after SDF application.

Validation of the 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D to 25-hydroxyvitamin D ratio as a biomarker of 25-hydroxyvitamin D clearance.

The formation of 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (24,25(OH)D) from 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) is the primary mechanism for the metabolic clearance of 25(OH)D, and is regulated by tissue-level vitamin D activity. The ratio of 24,25(OH)D to 25(OH)D in blood (vitamin D metabolite ratio, VDMR) is postulated to be a marker of 25(OH)D clearance, however this has never been tested. We measured baseline 24,25(OH)D and 25(OH)D concentrations in 87 participants by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Cardiovascular Safety and Hemostatic Efficacy of Topical Epinephrine in Children Receiving Zirconia Crowns.

Objective: The primary aim of this study was to determine the cardiovascular safety of topical racemic epinephrine pellets by measuring heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure in children receiving dental care under general anesthesia. The secondary aim was to assess clinical efficacy by measuring time to reach adequate hemostasis.

Methods: For this pilot study utilizing a split-mouth randomized design, 13 patients requiring prefabricated zirconia crowns on both primary maxillary first molars were recruited.

Sources of Interindividual Variability.

The efficacy, safety, and tolerability of drugs are dependent on numerous factors that influence their disposition. A dose that is efficacious and safe for one individual may result in sub-therapeutic or toxic blood concentrations in others. A significant source of this variability in drug response is drug metabolism, where differences in presystemic and systemic biotransformation efficiency result in variable degrees of systemic exposure (e.

Atezolizumab, Bevacizumab, and Chemotherapy for Newly Diagnosed Stage III or IV Ovarian Cancer: Placebo-Controlled Randomized Phase III Trial (IMagyn050/GOG 3015/ENGOT-OV39).

Purpose: To evaluate the addition of the humanized monoclonal antiprogrammed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) antibody, atezolizumab, to platinum-based chemotherapy and bevacizumab in newly diagnosed stage III or IV ovarian cancer (OC).

Methods: This multicenter placebo-controlled double-blind randomized phase III trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03038100) enrolled patients with newly diagnosed untreated International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage III or IV OC who either had undergone primary cytoreductive surgery with macroscopic residual disease or were planned to receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy and interval surgery.

Differences in 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Clearance by eGFR and Race: A Pharmacokinetic Study.

Background: Conversion of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) to the active form of vitamin D occurs primarily in the kidney. Observational studies suggest 25(OH)D clearance from the circulation differs by kidney function and race. However, these potential variations have not been tested using gold-standard methods.

Immune Activation in Patients with Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer Treated with Ipilimumab Following Definitive Chemoradiation (GOG-9929).

Purpose: A phase I clinical trial (GOG-9929) examined the safety and efficacy of adjuvant immune-modulation therapy with the checkpoint inhibitor ipilimumab [anti-CTL antigen-4 (anti-CTLA-4)] following chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for newly diagnosed node-positive human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cervical cancer. To better understand the mechanism of action and to identify predictive biomarkers, immunologic and viral correlates were assessed before, during, and after treatment.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-one patients who received CRT and ≥2 doses of ipilimumab and 5 patients who received CRT only were evaluable for translational endpoints.

Safety and Clinical Activity of Atezolizumab Plus Bevacizumab in Patients with Ovarian Cancer: A Phase Ib Study.

Purpose: Atezolizumab has shown antitumor activity in patients with ovarian cancer. Dual blockade of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and VEGF enhances anticancer immunity and augments antitumor activity in several cancers. The safety and efficacy of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab were evaluated in patients with ovarian cancer.