Vitamin D and prebiotics for intestinal health in cystic fibrosis: Rationale and design for a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, 2 x 2 trial of administration of prebiotics and cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) (Pre-D trial) in adults with cystic fibrosis

Individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) have dysfunctional intestinal microbiota and increased gastrointestinal (GI) inflammation also known as GI dysbiosis. It is hypothesized that administration of high-dose cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) together with a prebiotic (inulin) will be effective, and possibly additive or synergistic, in reducing CF-related GI and airway dysbiosis. Thus, a 2 x 2 factorial design, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, pilot and feasibility, clinical trial was proposed to test this hypothesis. Forty adult participants with CF were block-randomized into one of four groups: 1) high-dose oral vitamin D3 (50,000 IU weekly) plus oral prebiotic placebo daily; 2) oral prebiotic (12 g inulin daily) plus oral placebo vitamin D3 weekly; 3) combined oral vitamin D3 weekly and oral prebiotic inulin daily; and 4) oral vitamin D3 placebo weekly and oral prebiotic placebo. The primary endpoints included 12-week changes in the microbial bacterial communities, gut and airway microbiota richness and diversity before and after the intervention. This pilot study examined whether vitamin D3 with or without prebiotics supplementation was feasible, changed airway and gut microbiota, and reduced dysbiosis, which in turn, may improve health outcomes and quality of life of patients with CF.

Immunotherapy for Thymomas and Thymic Carcinomas: Current Status and Future Directions

Thymic epithelial tumors are a histologically diverse group of cancers arising from the epithelial compartment of the thymus. These tumors are characterized by a low tumor mutation burden, a lack of actionable genomic changes, and, especially with thymomas, defects in immune tolerance. Surgery is the mainstay of the management of resectable disease, whereas advanced, unresectable tumors are treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. Disease recurrence can occur months to years after frontline treatment. Although several options are available for conventional treatment of recurrent thymic tumors, response rates are generally low, and treatment-related toxicity can affect quality of life. A subset of patients benefit from biologic therapies, but there remains an unmet need for the development of new treatments. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are safe, clinically active, and have contributed to an improvement in survival for patients with a wide variety of cancers. However, the application of these revolutionary treatments for thymic cancers is limited to their use for the management of recurrent thymic carcinoma because of the risk of immune toxicity. In this paper, we review the current uses of immunotherapy for the management of thymic epithelial tumors and highlight potential strategies to improve safety and broaden the application of these treatments for patients with thymic cancers.

Vitamin D for glycemic control following an acute pulmonary exacerbation: A secondary analysis of a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in adults with cystic fibrosis

Individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) often incur damage to pancreatic tissue due to a dysfunctional cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein, leading to altered chloride transport on epithelial surfaces and subsequent development of cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD). Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with the development of CFRD. This was a secondary analysis of a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study in adults with CF hospitalized for an acute pulmonary exacerbation (APE), known as the Vitamin D for the Immune System in Cystic Fibrosis (DISC) trial (NCT01426256). This was a pre-planned secondary analysis to examine if a high-dose bolus of cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) can mitigate declined glucose tolerance commonly associated with an acute pulmonary exacerbation (APE). Glycemic control was assessed by hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and fasting blood glucose levels before and 12 months after the study intervention. Within 72 hours of hospital admission, participants were randomly assigned to a single dose of oral vitamin D3 (250,000 IU) or placebo, and subsequently, received 50,000 IU of vitamin D3 or placebo every other week, beginning at month 3 and ending on month 12. Forty-nine of the 91 participants in the parent study were eligible for the secondary analysis. There were no differences in 12-month changes in HbA1c or fasting blood glucose in participants randomized to vitamin D or placebo. A high-dose bolus of vitamin D3 followed by maintenance vitamin D3 supplementation did not improve glycemic control in patients with CF after an APE.

Vitamin D and Prebiotics for Intestinal Health in Cystic Fibrosis: Rationale and design for a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, 2 × 2 trial of administration of prebiotics and cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) (Pre-D Trial) in adults with cystic fibrosis

Individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) have dysfunctional intestinal microbiota and increased gastrointestinal (GI) inflammation also known as GI dysbiosis. It is hypothesized that administration of high-dose cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) together with a prebiotic (inulin) will be effective, and possibly additive or synergistic, in reducing CF-related GI dysbiosis and improving intestinal functions. Thus, a 2 × 2 factorial design, placebo-controlled, double-blind, clinical trial was proposed to test this hypothesis. Forty adult participants with CF will be block-randomized into one of four groups: 1) high-dose oral vitamin D3 (50,000 IU weekly) plus oral prebiotic placebo daily; 2) oral prebiotic (12 g inulin daily) plus oral placebo vitamin D3 weekly; 3) combined oral vitamin D3 weekly and oral prebiotic inulin daily; and 4) oral vitamin D3 placebo weekly and oral prebiotic placebo. The primary endpoints will include 12-week changes in the reduced relative abundance of gammaproteobacteria, and gut microbiota richness and diversity before and after the intervention. This clinical study will examine whether vitamin D3 with or without prebiotics will improve intestinal health and reduce GI dysbiosis, which in turn, should improve health outcomes and quality of life of patients with CF.

Predicting glycemic control status and high blood glucose levels through voice characteristic analysis in patients with cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD)

Cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD) is associated with reduced life expectancy in adults with cystic fibrosis (CF). Voice analysis may be a convenient method for diagnosing and monitoring CFRD. This study aims to determine the relationship between voice characteristics and markers of glucose and glycemic control and to identify if voice analysis can predict high blood glucose levels and glycemic control in adults with CFRD. We conducted a prospective cross-sectional study in adults with CF from March to December 2021. We recorded 3-second voice samples of a sustained /a/ vowel and analyzed voice characteristic using the Computerized Speech Lab with the Multi-Dimensional Voice Program. In female participants with CFRD, the noise-to-harmonic ratio was significantly lower in those with HbA1c ≥ 7. Furthermore, fundamental frequency variation was significantly lower in both male and female participants with CFRD who had a glucose level of 200 mg/dL or higher at the time of collection. This finding was also associated with a high level of point-of-care glucose. The human voice has potential as a non-invasive tool for measuring glucose levels and glycemic control status in CFRD patients in the future.