Sevilla IÑ, et al. J Gynecol Oncol. 2018 Aug;30:e63. https://doi.org/10.3802/jgo.2019.30.e63

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex hormonal disorder which impairs ovarian function. The adherence to healthy dietary patterns and physical exercise are the first line of recommended treatment for PCOS patients, but it is yet unclear what type of diet is more adequate. In this case-control study, we explored associations between adherence to five dietary quality indices and the presence of PCOS. We enrolled 126 cases of PCOS and 159 controls living in Murcia (Spain). Diagnostic of PCOS and its phenotypes were established following the Rotterdam criteria (hyperandrogenism (H), oligoanovulation (O), polycystic ovaries morphology (POM)). We used a validated food frequency questionnaires to calculate the scores of five dietary indices: alternate Healthy Eating index (AHEI), AHEI-2010, relative Mediterranean Dietary Score (rMED), alternate Mediterranean Dietary Score (aMED) and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH). We used multivariable logistic regression to estimate adjusted odds ratios and confidence intervals. In the multivariable analysis, AHEI-2010 index was inversely associated with Hyperandrogenism + Oligoanovulation PCOS phenotype (OR_Q3 vs. _Q1 = 0.1; 95% CI: (0.0; 0.9); P_{for trend} = 0.02). We did not find any statistical significant association between dietary indices and total anovulatory or ovulatory PCOS. However, further studies with higher sample sizes exploring these associations among the diverse phenotypes of PCOS are highly warranted.

People are daily exposed to multiple endocrine disruptor compounds (EDCs) that may interfere with different molecular and cellular processes, promoting a potential estrogenic, androgenic, or anti-androgenic state. However, most epidemiological studies attempting to establish relationships between EDCs exposure and health effects are still considering individual compounds. A few studies have shown associations between exposure to individual non-persistent EDCs and sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) in different male populations. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate associations between combined exposure to non-persistent EDCs and SDF index in young men. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 158 healthy university students from Southeaster Spain. The participants provided spot urine and semen samples on the same day. The concentrations of urinary bisphenol A (BPA), benzophenones [2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone (BP-1); 2,2',4,4'-tetrahydroxybenzophenone (BP-2), 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone (BP-3), 2,2'-dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone (BP-8), 4-hydroxybenzophenone (4OHBP)], and parabens (methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben) were measured by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry detection. SDF was analysed using a Sperm Chromatin Dispersion test. Statistical analyses were carried out using Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression models to evaluate associations between combined exposure to these compounds and SDF index while adjusting by relevant covariates. The increase in urinary concentration of 4OHBP was found to be the most important contributor to the negative association between urinary EDCs concentrations and SDF index, being of -5.5 % [95 % CI: -10.7, -0.3] for those in percentile 50, and - 5.4 % [95 % CI: -10.8, -0.1] for those in percentile 75. No significant associations were observed between other EDCs and SDF index. Our findings show that urinary 4OHBP levels may be associated with a decrease in the SDF index. Nonetheless, the effects we observed were likely to be small and of uncertain clinical significance. Further research is needed to replicate our findings in other male populations.

In this report, the measurement of salivary biomarkers as an aid for diagnosis of equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) was studied. A comprehensive panel of 23 salivary analytes was measured in the saliva of horses affected by EGUS and compared to healthy animals and horses with other diseases clinically similar to EGUS but with a negative diagnosis at gastroscopic examination. A total of 147 horses were included in the study and divided into heathy population (n = 12), the EGUS group (n = 110), and the group of horses with other diseases (n = 25). From the 23 analytes studied, 17 showed increased values in EGUS horses when compared to healthy ones, and uric acid, triglycerides, and calcium were significantly increased in horses with EGUS compared to the group of other diseases. The receiver operating characteristic curve analyses showed a modest but significant discriminatory power of those three analytes to identify EGUS from other diseases with similar symptoms. The discriminatory power enhanced when the results of the three analytes were combined. In conclusion, the results showed that selected salivary analytes could have potential use as biomarkers in horses with EGUS.

Paracetamol is the one of the most commonly used medications during pregnancy. However, its potential antiandrogenic effect has been suggested. The objective of this study was to evaluate associations between maternal paracetamol use during pregnancy and anogenital distance (AGD) in male newborns from a Spanish birth cohort. The study included two hundred and seventy-seven mother-male child pairs with self-reported paracetamol use and frequency during each trimester of pregnancy. AGD measurements were taken employing standardized methods. The associations between maternal paracetamol use and AGD measures were evaluated using linear regression models, adjusting for potential confounders and covariates. Overall, 61.7% of pregnant women consumed paracetamol at any time of pregnancy with an average of 9.43 (SD = 15.33) days throughout pregnancy. No associations between the maternal use of paracetamol or its frequency and AGD measures among different trimesters or during the whole pregnancy were found in the adjusted final models. A non-differential misclassification error may have occurred—the recall of paracetamol intake independent of AGD measurements—introducing bias towards the null hypothesis. Nevertheless, the current evidence suggests that paracetamol might have a potential antiandrogenic effect especially in the early stages of fetal development. Thus, it would be highly recommendable to pursue further studies to elucidate the potential effects of paracetamol in human perinatal health and its use among pregnant women.