The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Patient Registry. Rationale, Design, and Methods.

Detailed understanding of longitudinal behavior, response to therapy, and applicable biomarkers for interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) is lacking. There is a need for a large multicenter registry that provides researchers and clinicians access to well-characterized data not limited to patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Patient Registry (PFF-PR) is a database that collects baseline and longitudinal demographic and clinical information about patients with ILDs in the United States. The objective of this study is to describe the patient population, data collection process, and opportunities for retrospective and prospective research with the PFF-PR. Individuals 18 years or older who had ILD diagnosed and who were seen at PFF-PR centers who provided informed consent were eligible to participate. Baseline and longitudinal demographic, spirometric, radiographic, morbidity, and mortality data are recorded into a secure electronic data capture system. Starting in 2016, the PFF-PR has collected data on 2,003 patients at 42 clinical sites in the United States. At the time of enrollment, the mean age of participants was 68 years old. Most (62%) of participants were male, and 58% had a positive smoking history. The mean forced vital capacity was 69% predicted, and the mean diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide was 43% predicted. Forty-one percent of patients were using supplemental oxygen, and 39% were on antifibrotic therapy. Reasons for attrition were mostly death or transplant, with low rates of loss to follow-up or withdrawal. The PFF-PR is a large multicenter United States-based registry that provides researchers and clinicians access to well-characterized ILD patient data.

Comparison of serum dexamethasone concentrations in cats after oral or transdermal administration using pluronic lecithin organogel (PLO): a pilot study.

The objective of this study was to measure and compare the serum concentrations of dexamethasone after oral and transdermal administration using pluronic lecithin organogel in six healthy cats. The study was designed as a crossover, in which the cats were randomly assigned to two groups. The cats received a single dose (0.05 mg kg(-1)) of dexamethasone either orally or transdermally on the inner pinna. Blood samples were taken at 0, 5, 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min, and 3, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24, 48 and 72 h post dexamethasone administration. A mean peak serum concentration of 30.1 ng mL(-1) was detected 15 min after oral administration. Serum concentrations were below detection limits by 24 h. In contrast, there was no significant increase in serum concentrations of dexamethasone after transdermal administration. In cats, transdermal administration of a single dose of dexamethasone did not result in significant serum concentrations compared to oral administration.