Objective: To determine the pooled global prevalence of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction in patients with the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID‐19).Data Sources: Literature searches of PubMed, Embase, and Scopus were conducted on April 19, 2020, to include articles written in English that reported the prevalence of olfactory or gustatory dysfunction in COVID‐19 patients.Review Methods: Search strategies developed for each database contained keywords such as anosmia, dysgeusia, and COVID‐19. Resulting articles were imported into a systematic review software and underwent screening. Data from articles that met inclusion criteria were extracted and analyzed. Meta‐analysis using pooled prevalence estimates in a random‐effects model were calculated.Results: Ten studies were analyzed for olfactory dysfunction (n = 1627), demonstrating 52.73% (95% CI, 29.64%‐75.23%) prevalence among patients with COVID‐19. Nine studies were analyzed for gustatory dysfunction (n = 1390), demonstrating 43.93% (95% CI, 20.46%‐68.95%) prevalence. Subgroup analyses were conducted for studies evaluating olfactory dysfunction using nonvalidated and validated instruments and demonstrated 36.64% (95% CI, 18.31%‐57.24%) and 86.60% (95% CI, 72.95%‐95.95%) prevalence, respectively.Conclusions: Olfactory and gustatory dysfunction are common symptoms in patients with COVID‐19 and may represent early symptoms in the clinical course of infection. Increased awareness of this fact may encourage earlier diagnosis and treatment, as well as heighten vigilance for viral transmission. To our knowledge, this is the first meta‐analysis to report on the prevalence of these symptoms in COVID‐19 patients.

Cisplatin-based therapy is highly toxic, but moderately effective in most cancers. Concurrent inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) results in antitumor activity and has organ-protective effects. The goal of this study was to determine the antitumor activity of PTUPB, an orally bioavailable COX-2/sEH dual inhibitor, in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine (GC) therapy. NSG mice bearing bladder cancer patient-derived xenografts were treated with vehicle, PTUPB, cisplatin, GC, or combinations thereof. Mouse experiments were performed with two different PDX models. PTUPB potentiated cisplatin and GC therapy, resulting in significantly reduced tumor growth and prolonged survival. PTUPB plus cisplatin was no more toxic than cisplatin single-agent treatment as assessed by body weight, histochemical staining of major organs, blood counts, and chemistry. The combination of PTUPB and cisplatin increased apoptosis and decreased phosphorylation in the MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways compared with controls. PTUPB treatment did not alter platinum–DNA adduct levels, which is the most critical step in platinum-induced cell death. The in vitro study using the combination index method showed modest synergy between PTUPB and platinum agents only in 5637 cell line among several cell lines examined. However, PTUPB is very active in vivo by inhibiting angiogenesis. In conclusion, PTUPB potentiated the antitumor activity of cisplatin-based treatment without increasing toxicity in vivo and has potential for further development as a combination chemotherapy partner. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(2); 474–83. ©2017 AACR.

Background: The purpose of the study is to compare the visual outcomes and complications of sutured scleral fixation (SSF), a traditional and conservative surgical approach, and the newer and faster Yamane technique for secondary intraocular lens placement. Methods: A literature search was performed on PubMed, Embase, and Scopus on studies published between 1 July 2017 to 29 September 2023. Outcomes analyzed included the final best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) between 3 and 12 months to assess the effectiveness of the procedure, post-operative month (POM) 1 BCVA to assess the speed of visual recovery, endothelial cell count (ECC), absolute refractive error, surgical duration, and complication rates. Additional subgroup analyses were performed based on surgeon experience with the technique. Single-surgeon studies had an average of 26 procedures performed, whereas multiple-surgeon studies averaged only 9 procedures performed; these were then used to delineate surgeon experience. A sample-size weighted mean difference (MD) meta-analysis was performed across all variables using RevMan 5.4.1; p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Thirteen studies with 737 eyes were included: 406 eyes were included in the SSF group, and 331 eyes were included in the Yamane group. There was no significant difference in the final BCVA between groups in both the single-surgeon versus multiple-surgeon studies (MD = −0.01, 95% CI: [−0.06, 0.04], p = 0.73). In the single-surgeon studies, the BCVA at POM1 was significantly improved in the Yamane group compared to SSF (MD = −0.10, 95% CI: [−0.16, −0.04], p = 0.002). In the multiple-surgeon studies, there was no significant difference in BCVA at POM1 (MD = −0.06, 95% CI: [−0.16, 0.04], p = 0.23). The Yamane group had a shorter surgical duration than SSF in both single-surgeon and multiple-surgeon studies (MD = −24.68, 95% CI: [−35.90, −13.46], p < 0.0001). The ECC, refractive error, and complication rates did not significantly differ amongst all groups. Conclusions: The Yamane technique demonstrated similar long-term visual outcomes and complication rates to the traditional SSF. Visual recovery was significantly faster in the Yamane group in the single-surgeon studies. The operative times were shorter across all Yamane groups. Based on these findings, it is advisable to consider the Yamane technique as a viable, and perhaps preferable, option for patients requiring secondary IOL placement, alongside traditional SSF methods.

ATRX is one of the most frequently altered genes in solid tumors, and mutation is especially frequent in soft tissue sarcomas. However, the role of ATRX in tumor development and response to cancer therapies remains poorly understood. Here, we developed a primary mouse model of soft tissue sarcoma and showed that Atrx-deleted tumors were more sensitive to radiation therapy and to oncolytic herpesvirus. In the absence of Atrx, irradiated sarcomas had increased persistent DNA damage, telomere dysfunction, and mitotic catastrophe. Our work also showed that Atrx deletion resulted in downregulation of the CGAS/STING signaling pathway at multiple points in the pathway and was not driven by mutations or transcriptional downregulation of the CGAS/STING pathway components. We found that both human and mouse models of Atrx-deleted sarcoma had a reduced adaptive immune response, markedly impaired CGAS/STING signaling, and increased sensitivity to TVEC, an oncolytic herpesvirus that is currently FDA approved for the treatment of aggressive melanomas. Translation of these results to patients with ATRX-mutant cancers could enable genomically guided cancer therapy approaches to improve patient outcomes.

Purpose: Chalazia are benign eyelid lesions caused by the obstruction and inflammatory reaction of the meibomian glands. Demodex mites are one potential cause of chalazia leading to mechanical obstruction of the meibomian gland. In this prospective randomized study, we examine a novel approach to treating chalazia with the use of microblepharoexfoliation (MBE), an in-office lid hygiene technique that exfoliates the eyelid margins. Methods: Fifty patients with clinical evidence of acute chalazion were enrolled in this study. Subjects were randomly assigned to a MBE plus lid hygiene group (23 patients, mean age 66.6 ± 16.6 years) or a lid hygiene alone group (27 patients, mean age 62.1 ± 14.4). The MBE plus lid hygiene group received MBE treatment and were evaluated 1 month after the baseline visit. The main outcome measured was the resolution of the chalazion at the 1-month follow-up visit. Results: The lid hygiene plus MBE treatment group demonstrated a statistically significant resolution of the chalazion compared with the lid hygiene group alone (P = 0.007; chi-square test). Among the MBE plus hygiene group, 87% of the patients had resolution of their chalazion as opposed to the lid hygiene alone group, which had 44% resolution. Conclusions: This is the first prospective, randomized clinical trial that demonstrated efficacy of MBE as a noninvasive adjunctive treatment method for chalazion resolution.