Influence of Androgen Receptor Gene CAG and GGC Polymorphisms on Male Sexual Function: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background. No study has assessed the possible involvement of GGC androgen receptor (AR) polymorphism in sexual function. Our aim is to evaluate the association between CAG and GGC AR polymorphisms in this function. Methods. We retrospectively examined eighty-five outpatients. Clinical, biochemical, and genetic parameters were considered. Sexual assessment was performed using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) which evaluates erectile function (EF), orgasmic function (OF), sexual desire (SD), intercourse satisfaction (IS), and overall satisfaction (OS). Results. In the whole sample, CAG repeats were inversely correlated with EF, OF, and total IIEF-15 score, whereas GGC tracts did not show any significant correlation with sexual function. CAG relationship with IIEF items retained significance only in the eugonadal but not in the hypogonadal cohort. On the other hand, GGC tracts were not found to be significantly correlated with IIEF variables in either eugonadal or hypogonadal subjects. In eugonadal subjects, logistic regression pointed out that a higher number of CAG triplets were associated with lower values of EF, OF, SD, OS, and total IIEF independently from other confounders. Conclusions. GGC polymorphism seems not to exert any influence on sexual function, whereas CAG polymorphism appears to affect sexual parameters only in eugonadal subjects

"Mask up to keep it up": preliminary evidence of the association between erectile dysfunction and COVID-19

Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED), as the hallmark of endothelial dysfunction, could be a short- or long-term complication of COVID-19. Additionally, being ED a clinical marker and predictor of Non-communicable Chronic Diseases, particularly cardiovascular, subjects with ED could potentially have a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of ED among subjects with a reported diagnosis of COVID-19 and to measure the association of COVID-19 and ED. Materials and methods: We reviewed data from the Sex@COVID online survey (performed between April 7th and May 4th , 2020 in Italy) to retrieve a sample of Italian male sexually active subjects with reported SARS-CoV-2 infection. A matching sample of COVID-19 negative male sexually active subjects was also retrieved using propensity score matching in a 3:1 ratio. The survey used different standardized psychometric tools to measure effects of lockdown and social distancing on the intrapsychic, relational, and sexual health of Italian subjects. Results: 100 subjects were included in the analysis (25 COVID positive; 75 COVID negative). Prevalence of ED, measured with the Sexual Health Inventory for Men, was significantly higher in the COVID+ group (28% vs 9.33%; p = 0.027). Logistic regression models confirmed a significant effect of COVID-19 on the development of ED, independently of other variables affecting erectile function, such as psychological status, age and BMI [OR 5.66 ,95% CI: 1.50 - 24.01]. Likewise, subjects with ED were more likely to have COVID-19, once corrected for age and BMI [OR 5.27, 95% CI: 1.49 - 20.09]. Discussion and conclusion: On top of well-described pathophysiological mechanisms, there is preliminary evidence in a real-life population of ED as a risk factor of developing COVID-19 and possibly occurring as a consequence of COVID-19. Universal vaccination against the Covid-19 and the personal protective equipment could possibly have the added benefit of preventing sexual dysfunctions. Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus; endothelial dysfunction; erectile dysfunction; testosterone

The Social Aspects of Sexual Health: A Twitter-Based Analysis of Valentine’s Day Perception

Sentiment analysis (SA) is a technique aimed at extracting opinions and sentiments through the analysis of text, often used in healthcare research to understand patients’ needs and interests. Data from social networks, such as Twitter, can provide useful insights on sexual behavior. We aimed to assess the perception of Valentine’s Day by performing SA on tweets we collected between 28 January and 13 February 2019. Analysis was done using ad hoc software. A total of 883,615 unique tweets containing the word “valentine” in their text were collected. Geo-localization was available for 48,918 tweets; most the tweets came from the US (36,889, 75.41%), the UK (2605, 5.33%) and Canada (1661, 3.4%). The number of tweets increased approaching February 14. “Love” was the most recurring word, appearing in 111,981 tweets, followed by “gift” (55,136), “special” (34,518) and “happy” (33,913). Overall, 7318 tweets mentioned “sex”: among these tweets, the most recurring words were “sexy” (2317 tweets), “love” (1394) and “gift” (679); words pertaining to intimacy and sexual activity, such as “lingerie”, “porn”, and “date” were less common. In conclusion, tweets about Valentine’s Day mostly focus on the emotions, or on the material aspect of the celebration, and the sexual aspect of Valentine’s Day is rarely mentioned

Male Sexual Health and Sexual Behaviors during the First National COVID-19 Lockdown in a Western Country: A Real-Life, Web-Based Study

Restriction measures enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic had severe effects on male sexual and reproductive health. We aimed to investigate the real-life impact and perception of sexual function in 2020 in Italy, as the first Western country experiencing a national lockdown by measuring relative search volume for keywords pertaining to sexual health and behaviors provided by Google Trends and sales data for pro-erectile treatments. No significant change was observed for erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. Interest towards most phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors decreased significantly during lockdown (e.g., sildenafil, p = 0.0002; tadalafil p = 0.0016), then reverted to pre-lockdown levels (e.g., sildenafil, p p p = 0.0292). A subsequent recovery to previous levels at the end of the social confinement was also found (e.g., after vs. before lockdown, sildenafil, p = 0.8459; tadalafil p = 0.1166). During lockdown, interest towards pornography significantly increased during restrictions (p = 0.0053) and remained high (after vs. before lockdown, p = 0.0004), whereas interest towards paid and casual sex declined (p = 0.0015 and p = 0.049, respectively), then reverted to previous levels (after vs. before lockdown, p = 0.3969 and 0.8373, respectively). During the first Italian lockdown, we observed a transient but measurable decrease of sexual health-seeking behaviors and changes in sexual behaviors, with unknown impact for sexual medicine and public health

Using temperament and character dimensions (TCI) to analyze the personality profiles of adults and older adults with cancer managed in outpatient settings

Introduction This study aimed to investigate profiles of personality evaluated by temperament and character dimensions (TCI) in 638 adult and older adult patients (CP) who had recently been diagnosed with breast, colon, lung, and other kinds of cancer (female and male subjects were assessed). Tests: Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Statistical analysis: cluster K-means analysis for personality traits. Results Two different personality profiles emerged: "Low self-determination and pessimism" (Profile 1) and "Self-determination and self-caring (medium)" (Profile 2). The following significant differences were observed in the TCI dimensions between the two profiles: Temperament-Novelty-Seeking (NS) (p 0.001); Self-Transcendence (ST) (p < 0.001). No differences in the two profiles were found between adult and elderly patients. Profile 1 - "Low self-determination and pessimism": Patients with this profile present low resistance to frustration, poor search for novelty and solutions (NS), anxiety and pessimism (medium HA), high social attachment and dependence on the approval of others (medium-high RD), and low self-determination (PS) as temperament dimensions; and medium-low self-direction, low autonomy and ability to adapt (SD-medium-low), medium cooperativeness (C), and low self-transcendence (ST) as character dimensions. Profile 2 - "Self-determination and self-caring (medium)": Patients with this profile have resistance to frustration, ability to search for novelty and solutions (medium-NS), low anxiety and pessimism (HA), low social attachment and dependence on approval (medium-low-RD), and determination (medium-high PS) as dimensions of temperament; and autonomy and capacity for adaptation and self-direction (SD), capacity for cooperation (high-CO), and self-transcendence (medium-high-ST) as character dimensions. Conclusion Personality screening allows a better understanding of the difficulties of the individual patient and the planning of targeted psychotherapeutic interventions that promote quality of life and good adaptation to the disease course

Using temperament and character dimensions (TCI) to analyze the personality profiles of adults and older adults with cancer managed in outpatient settings

Introduction This study aimed to investigate profiles of personality evaluated by temperament and character dimensions (TCI) in 638 adult and older adult patients (CP) who had recently been diagnosed with breast, colon, lung, and other kinds of cancer (female and male subjects were assessed). Tests: Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Statistical analysis: cluster K-means analysis for personality traits. Results Two different personality profiles emerged: "Low self-determination and pessimism" (Profile 1) and "Self-determination and self-caring (medium)" (Profile 2). The following significant differences were observed in the TCI dimensions between the two profiles: Temperament-Novelty-Seeking (NS) (p &lt; 0.001); Harm-Avoidance (HA) (p &lt; 0.001); Reward-Dependence (RD) (p &lt; 0.001); Persistence (PS) (p &lt; 0.001); Character-Self-Directness (SD) (p &lt; 0.001); Cooperativeness (C) (p &gt; 0.001); Self-Transcendence (ST) (p &lt; 0.001). No differences in the two profiles were found between adult and elderly patients. Profile 1 - "Low self-determination and pessimism": Patients with this profile present low resistance to frustration, poor search for novelty and solutions (NS), anxiety and pessimism (medium HA), high social attachment and dependence on the approval of others (medium-high RD), and low self-determination (PS) as temperament dimensions; and medium-low self-direction, low autonomy and ability to adapt (SD-medium-low), medium cooperativeness (C), and low self-transcendence (ST) as character dimensions. Profile 2 - "Self-determination and self-caring (medium)": Patients with this profile have resistance to frustration, ability to search for novelty and solutions (medium-NS), low anxiety and pessimism (HA), low social attachment and dependence on approval (medium-low-RD), and determination (medium-high PS) as dimensions of temperament; and autonomy and capacity for adaptation and self-direction (SD), capacity for cooperation (high-CO), and self-transcendence (medium-high-ST) as character dimensions. Conclusion Personality screening allows a better understanding of the difficulties of the individual patient and the planning of targeted psychotherapeutic interventions that promote quality of life and good adaptation to the disease course

Gut: A key player in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes?

The gut regulates glucose and energy homeostasis; thus, the presence of ingested nutrients into the gut activates sensing mechanisms that affect both glucose homeostasis and regulate food intake. Increasing evidence suggest that gut may also play a key role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes which may be related to both the intestinal microbiological profile and patterns of gut hormones secretion. Intestinal microbiota includes trillions of microorganisms but its composition and function may be adversely affected in type 2 diabetes. The intestinal microbiota may be responsible of the secretion of molecules that may impair insulin secretion/action. At the same time, intestinal milieu regulates the secretion of hormones such as GLP-1, GIP, ghrelin, gastrin, somatostatin, CCK, serotonin, peptide YY, GLP-2, all of which importantly influence metabolism in general and in particular glucose metabolism. Thus, the aim of this paper is to review the current evidence on the role of the gut in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes, taking into account both hormonal and microbiological aspects

Dyadic Satisfaction and Shared Affectivity Are Associated with Psycho-Sexual Functioning in Elderly Men and Women

objectives the quality of sexual life of elderly people represents an understudied topic of sexual medicine and of psycho-sexology. hence, we aimed to evaluate the association of specific psycho-relational variables, such as intimacy, increased affective gestures towards a partner (AGtP), daily shared activities, and dyadic satisfaction, with the psychosexual wellbeing of elderly people, expressed in terms of sexual satisfaction. methods: a cohort of elderly people was selected from a sample of a broader study evaluating the role of sexual activity in protecting the emotional wellbeing of a population subjected to quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic. specifically, the presence of sexual dysfunctions, the emotional wellbeing (i.e., absence of anxiety and/or depression), and the quality of the partners' relationships were studied. For the study's purpose, the Sexual health Inventory for males (SHIM), the female sexual function index (FSFI), the orgasmometer and the orgasmometer-F, the generalized anxiety disorder scale (GAD-7), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale were adopted. results: a group of 124 elderly subjects (&gt;= 60) was selected for the study's purposes. among these, 84% were males (120/124), and 16% were females (20/124). All the subjects declared to be in a stable relationship and to be sexually active during the first lockdown period. gender differences were found for the dyadic satisfaction subscale (males: 37.04 +/- 6.57; females: 32.85 +/- 10.04; p &lt; 0.05) and the orgasmometer (males: 7.64 +/- 1.30; females: 6.60 +/- 2.46; p &lt; 0.01). Linear regression analysis showed the association between higher orgasmometer scores and: (i) the absence of sexual dysfunctions (beta = -1.213; SE = 0.271; p &lt; 0.0001), (ii) higher dyadic satisfaction (beta = 0.042; SE = 0.019; p &lt; 0.05), and (iii) reduced shared activities with partner (beta = -0.463; SE = 0.143; p &lt; 0.01) and increased affective gestures towards partner (DAS measured AGtP) (beta = 0.595; SE = 0.065; p &lt; 0.0001). post hoc analysis of ANCOVA with the bonferroni correction method showed a significant difference in the orgasmometer scores between subjects with and without sexual dysfunction (mean difference: 2.102; SE = 0.340; p(Bonf) &lt; 0.001), with healthy subjects reporting higher scores compared to dysfunctional ones. conclusions: It is reasonable to suppose that, beyond the presence of sexual dysfunctions, the sexual health of elderly people may benefit from the quality of the relationship, and, specifically, from the presence of affective gestures towards the partner and the dyadic satisfaction. to the contrary, the quantity of time spent together, sharing specific activities, may be considered a factor worsening relational and sexual health. these data should be considered during the evaluation of sexual health among elderly people

Does vitamin D play a role in autoimmune endocrine disorders? A proof of concept

In the last few years, more attention has been given to the "non-calcemic" effect of vitamin D. Several observational studies and meta-analyses demonstrated an association between circulating levels of vitamin D and outcome of many common diseases, including endocrine diseases, chronic diseases, cancer progression, and autoimmune diseases. In particular, cells of the immune system (B cells, T cells, and antigen presenting cells), due to the expression of 1α-hydroxylase (CYP27B1), are able to synthesize the active metabolite of vitamin D, which shows immunomodulatory properties. Moreover, the expression of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) in these cells suggests a local action of vitamin D in the immune response. These findings are supported by the correlation between the polymorphisms of the VDR or the CYP27B1 gene and the pathogenesis of several autoimmune diseases. Currently, the optimal plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration that is necessary to prevent or treat autoimmune diseases is still under debate. However, experimental studies in humans have suggested beneficial effects of vitamin D supplementation in reducing the severity of disease activity. In this review, we summarize the evidence regarding the role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of autoimmune endocrine diseases, including type 1 diabetes mellitus, Addison's disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Graves' disease and autoimmune polyendocrine syndromes. Furthermore, we discuss the supplementation with vitamin D to prevent or treat autoimmune diseases

China and Europe taking care of healthcare solutions “CHETCH”

CHETCH is a research project financed by the European Commission with the 7th Framework Programme - PEOPLE MARIE CURIE ACTIONS - IRSES, with 11 Institutions involved and a budget of 688.800 €. The project intends to contribute actively to the cooperation between Europe and China through the investigating of opportunities for mutual integration in the healthcare sector. Cooperation and potential synergies will be examined from a comprehensive perspective, including policies at national and local level, the legal environment, medical practices, healthcare industries and related businesses. In order to develop a comprehensive understanding of the integration opportunities, an interdisciplinary approach is followed. The primary objective of CHETCH is to increase the availability of interdisciplinary studies providing a comprehensive overview (including medical, legal, economic, and humanities perspectives) of Europe-China relations in healthcare. Potentially, Europe and China have complementarities that could help each other face their specific needs in the long run in the healthcare sector. In particular, China would benefit from gaining knowledge and expertise from European countries at different levels. From how to project and run a universal system; how to plan a specific care program for its ageing population; to the use of western medicine to cope with new and improved medical needs of the population. Europe could “export” to China solutions, best practices and thus find business opportunities. At the same time, China could export to Europe practices and approaches of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that could be cost saving and effective in specific pathologies. In the specific, the team of experts in the medical field will investigate best practices of traditional medical systems using a modern science framework. The team will develop a process of recognition and scientific validation of TCM versus Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM) at different levels as recommended by the World Health Organization Traditional medicine Strategy 2003-2005. This strategy includes the following indicators: • policy, i.e. integrate TM/CAM with national health care systems, as appropriate, by developing and implementing national TM/CAM policies and programs; • safety, efficacy and quality, i.e. promote the safety, efficacy and quality of TM/ CAM by expanding the knowledgebase on TM/CAM, and by providing guidance on regulatory and quality assurance standards; • access, i.e. increase the availability and affordability of TM/CAM, as appropriate, with an emphasis on access for poor populations; • rational use, i.e. promote therapeutically sound use of appropriate TM/CAM by providers and consumers