Homocysteine levels and C677T polymorphism of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

The aim of this study was to investigate the homocysteine (Hcy) levels and the C677T polymorphism of 5,10-methyl-enetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), a crucial factor of the Hey metabolism in young women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).Seventy young women with PCOS and another 70 healthy women with low folate intake were enrolled. Cases and controls were matched for age, body mass index, and allele frequency. Hey, vitamin B(12), and folate levels were measured, and a genetic analysis of 5,10-MTHFR at nucleotide 677 was performed in all subjects.No difference in mean Hcy levels was observed between PCOS women in comparison to the control group. Considering the different MTHFR polymorphism, no significant difference was found in serum Hey levels between subjects with PCOS and controls showing CC (10.4 +/- 3.1 us. 9.7 +/- 2.9 pmol/liter +/- SD) and CT genotypes (10.9 +/- 3.8 us. 11.0 +/- 3.2 pmol/liter SD). In subjects with a TT homozygous state, a significant (P < 0.05) difference was observed between PCOS and control women (11.5 +/- 3.9 as. 22.0 +/- 7.8 pmol/liter SD).In conclusion, our data show that in PCOS women, the serum Hey levels are normal, and the C677T polymorphism of MTHFR does not influence the Hey levels like in controls

Germination Behavior and Geographical Information System-Based Phenotyping of Root Hairs to Evaluate the Effects of Different Sources of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larval Frass on Herbaceous Crops

: Insect larval frass has been proposed as a fertilizer and amendment, but methods for testing its effects on plants are poorly developed and need standardization. We obtained different types of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) frass via the factorial combination of (a) two insect diets, as follows: G (Gainesville = 50% wheat bran, 30% alfalfa meal, 20% maize meal) and W (43% sheep whey + 57% seeds); (b) two frass thermal treatments: NT = untreated and T = treated at 70 °C for 1 h. We tested the effects on the germination of cress (Lepidium sativum L.) and wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) by applying 1:2 w:w water extracts at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% concentration. Standardizing frass water content before extraction affected chemical composition. Frass extracts showed high electrical conductivity (8.88 to 13.78 mS cm-1). The W diet was suppressive towards Escherichia coli and showed a lower content of nitrates (e.g., WNT 40% lower than GNT) and a concentration-dependent phytotoxic effect on germinating plants. At 25% concentration, germination indices of G were 4.5 to 40-fold those at 100%. Root and shoot length and root hair area were affected by diet and concentration of frass extracts (e.g., root and shoot length in cress at 25% were, respectively, 4.53 and 2 times higher than at 100%), whereas the effects of the thermal treatment were few or inconclusive. On barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) grown in micropots on a silty loam soil, root mass was reduced by 37% at high extract concentration. A quick procedure for root hair surface area was developed based on the geographic information system (GIS) and may provide a fast method for incorporating root hair phenotyping in frass evaluation. The results indicate that below-ground structures need to be addressed in research on frass effects. For this, phyotoxicity tests should encompass different extract dilutions, and frass water content should be standardized before extraction in the direction of canonical procedures to allow comparisons

Metformin administration improves leukocyte count in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a 6-month prospective study

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common disorder associated with a wide range of endocrine and metabolic abnormalities. Low-grade chronic inflammation is a related complication recently observed in PCOS. Increased white blood cell (WBC) count was previously reported in PCOS women.Objective: To evaluate the effects of six months metformin administration on WBC count in PCOS women. Patients and methods: Fifty normal-weight PCOS women without additional metabolic or cardiovascular diseases were enrolled and treated with metformin (8 50 mg twice daily) for 6 months in a prospective baseline-controlled clinical study. At baseline and after treatment, WBC count and C-reactive protein (CRP) were evaluated in each patient. The whole hormonal profile, serum insulin and glucose levels (at fasting and during a 75 g 2-h oral glucose tolerance test), serum lipid profile were also assessed.Results: A significant difference was observed in WBC count (7050 +/- 5 52 vs 6080 +/- 5 77 cell/mm(3) +/- S.D.. P<0.001) and CRP levels (1.8 +/- 0.9 vs 1.1 +/- 0.6mg/I +/- S.D).. P<0.001) after metformin treatment in comparison with baseline values. SHBG levels and the free androgen index also changed significantly (P<0.001). Finally. high-density lipoproteins and the area under curve for glucose/area under curve for insulin ratio also significantly increased (P< 0.001), whereas low-density lipoproteins and area under curve for insulin were significantly reduced (P < 0.001). No other change was found in any of the biochemical parameters evaluated.Conclusion: A six-month course of metformin reduces WBC count in PCOS women

Lack of an association between peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ gene Pro12Ala polymorphism and adiponectin levels in the polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine metabolic diseases and is characterized by obesity in approximately 50% of those affected. Adiponectin is an adipocyte-derived protein that possesses an antiatherosclerotic action and improves insulin sensitivity. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) regulates the transcription of several adipocyte-specific genes. The aim of this study was to investigate the putative influence of the PPAR-gamma gene Pro12Ala polymorphism on the adiponectin levels in PCOS and healthy women. One hundred twenty women with PCOS and 120 healthy women whose ages and body mass indexes matched those of the PCOS patients were investigated. The genetic analysis of PPAR-gamma gene Pro12Ala polymorphism was performed by restriction fragment of polymorphisms. Serum adiponectin levels were evaluated, and the homeostasis model assessment score was also calculated. No subject was homozygous for the Ala12 allele of the PPAR-gamma gene. No significant differences in body mass index, plasma glucose and lipid levels, and homeostasis model assessment scores were observed between and within genotype groups in PCOS and control women. No significant differences in serum adiponectin concentrations were observed between and within genotype groups in PCOS and control women.In conclusion, our results confirm that adiponectin concentrations are similar in PCOS and controls and demonstrate no effect of the PPAR-gamma gene Pro12Ala polymorphism on serum adiponectin levels.Abstract Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine metabolic diseases and is characterized by obesity in approximately 50% of those affected. Adiponectin is an adipocyte-derived protein that possesses an antiatherosclerotic action and improves insulin sensitivity. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) regulates the transcription of several adipocyte-specific genes. The aim of this study was to investigate the putative influence of the PPAR-gamma gene Pro12Ala polymorphism on the adiponectin levels in PCOS and healthy women. One hundred twenty women with PCOS and 120 healthy women whose ages and body mass indexes matched those of the PCOS patients were investigated. The genetic analysis of PPAR-gamma gene Pro12Ala polymorphism was performed by restriction fragment of polymorphisms. Serum adiponectin levels were evaluated, and the homeostasis model assessment score was also calculated. No subject was homozygous for the Ala12 allele of the PPAR-gamma gene. No significant differences in body mass index, plasma glucose and lipid levels, and homeostasis model assessment scores were observed between and within genotype groups in PCOS and control women. No significant differences in serum adiponectin concentrations were observed between and within genotype groups in PCOS and control women. In conclusion, our results confirm that adiponectin concentrations are similar in PCOS and controls and demonstrate no effect of the PPAR-gamma gene Pro12Ala polymorphism on serum adiponectin levels

Author Correction: Suppression of a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in the Italian municipality of Vo'

Correction to: Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2488-1Published online 30 June 202

Suppression of a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in the Italian municipality of Vo'

On the 21st of February 2020 a resident of the municipality of Vo', a small town near Padua, died of pneumonia due to SARS-CoV-2 infection1. This was the first COVID-19 death detected in Italy since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in the Chinese city of Wuhan, Hubei province2. In response, the regional authorities imposed the lockdown of the whole municipality for 14 days3. We collected information on the demography, clinical presentation, hospitalization, contact network and presence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in nasopharyngeal swabs for 85.9% and 71.5% of the population of Vo' at two consecutive time points. On the first survey, which was conducted around the time the town lockdown started, we found a prevalence of infection of 2.6% (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.1-3.3%). On the second survey, which was conducted at the end of the lockdown, we found a prevalence of 1.2% (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.8-1.8%). Notably, 42.5% (95% CI 31.5-54.6%) of the confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections detected across the two surveys were asymptomatic (i.e. did not have symptoms at the time of swab testing and did not develop symptoms afterwards). The mean serial interval was 7.2 days (95% CI 5.9-9.6). We found no statistically significant difference in the viral load of symptomatic versus asymptomatic infections (p-values 0.62 and 0.74 for E and RdRp genes, respectively, Exact Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test). This study sheds new light on the frequency of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, their infectivity (as measured by the viral load) and provides new insights into its transmission dynamics and the efficacy of the implemented control measures