The CRS system is reproducible and shows prognostic significance for high-grade serous carcinoma. Implementation in international pathology reporting has been proposed by the International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting, and the system could potentially have an impact on patient care and research.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) on immune activation in stage IIIC/IV tubo-ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC), and its relationship to treatment response.Experimental Design: We obtained pre-and posttreatment omental biopsies and blood samples from a total of 54 patients undergoing platinum-based NACT and 6 patients undergoing primary debulking surgery. We measured T-cell density and phenotype, immune activation, and markers of cancer-related inflammation using IHC, flow cytometry, electrochemiluminescence assays, and RNA sequencing and related our findings to the histopathologic treatment response.Results: There was evidence of T-cell activation in omental biopsies after NACT: CD4 þ T cells showed enhanced IFNg production and antitumor Th1 gene signatures were increased. T-cell activation was more pronounced with good response to NACT. The CD8 þ T-cell and CD45RO þ memory cell density in the tumor microenvironment was unchanged after NACT but biopsies showing a good therapeutic response had significantly fewer FoxP3 þ T regulatory (Treg) cells. This finding was supported by a reduction in a Treg cell gene signature in postversus pre-NACT samples that was more pronounced in good responders. Plasma levels of proinflammatory cytokines decreased in all patients after NACT. However, a high proportion of T cells in biopsies expressed immune checkpoint molecules PD-1 and CTLA4, and PD-L1 levels were significantly increased after NACT. Conclusions: NACT may enhance host immune response but this effect is tempered by high/increased levels of PD-1, CTLA4, and PD-L1. Sequential chemoimmunotherapy may improve disease control in advanced HGSC. Clin Cancer Res; 22(12); 3025-36. Ó2016 AACR.

Topical RSNOs produce a consistent, sustained and biologically effective release of NO on human skin in vivo, which offers advantages over currently available topical NO donors. Dermal nitrite concentration--the oxidation product of NO--is directly correlated with blood flow at low and moderate levels of blood flow. At high levels of blood flow, there is a reduction in dermal nitrite, which is presumed to be due to increased blood scavenging.

The motility of the gastrointestinal tract is generated by smooth muscle cells and is controlled to a large extent by an intrinsic neural network. A gap of ∼200 nm usually separates nerve varicosities from smooth muscle cells, which suggests that direct innervation of the smooth muscle by synapses does not occur. Enteric nerves do make synapse-like contact with proposed regulatory cells, the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), which in turn may be in gap junction contact with smooth muscle cells. The role played by ICC in enteric innervation is controversial. Experimental evidence has been presented in vitro for the hypothesis that nitrergic inhibitory innervation is strongly reduced in the absence of ICC. However, in vivo data appear to dispute that. The present report provides evidence that explains the discrepancy between in vivo and in vitro data and provides evidence that inhibitory neurotransmitters can reach smooth muscle cells without hindrance when ICC are absent. The fundic musculature shows increased responses to substance P-mediated innervation and shows marked spontaneous activity, which is consistent with increased muscle excitability.