Objective. This trial aims to examine the effects of a Probiotic Mixture (VSL#3) on glycemic status and inflammatory markers, in women with GDM.Materials and Methods.Over a period of 8 weeks, 82 women with gestational diabetes were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n=41) which were given VSL#3 capsule or to a control group which were given placebo capsule (n=41). Fasting plasma glucose, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, glycosylated hemoglobin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, Interferon gamma, and interleukin-10 were measured before and after the intervention.Results.After 8 wk of supplementation FPG, HbA1c, HOMA-IR, and insulin levels remained unchanged in the probiotic and placebo groups. The comparison between the two groups showed no significant differences with FPG and HbA1c, but there were significant differences in insulin levels and HOMA-IR (16.6±5.9;3.7±1.5, resp.). Unlike the levels of IFN-g (19.21±16.6), there was a significant decrease in levels of IL-6 (3.81±0.7), TNF-α(3.10±1.1), and hs-CRP (4927.4±924.6). No significant increase was observed in IL-10 (3.11±5.7) in the intervention group as compared with the control group.Conclusions.In women with GDM, supplementation with probiotics (VSL#3) may help to modulate some inflammatory markers and may have benefits on glycemic control.

Background: The contribution of vitamin D to thyroid disorders has received paramount attention; however, results are mixed. Hence, we designed a systematic review and meta-analysis to obtain a definitive conclusion. Methods: The search included PubMed, ISI Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases up to March 2021 to collect available papers reporting the relationship between serum levels of vitamin D and thyroid disorders. The pooled effect was reported as weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Out of 6123 datasets, 42 were eligible to get into this systematic review and meta-analysis. Serum vitamin D was markedly lower in autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) (WMD − 3.1 ng/dl; 95% CI, − 5.57 to − 0.66; P = 0.013; I² = 99.9%), Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) (WMD − 6.05 ng/dl; 95% CI, − 8.35 to − 3.75; P < 0.001; I² = 91.0%) and hypothyroidism patients (WMD − 13.43 ng/dl; 95% CI, − 26.04 to − 0.81; P = 0.03; I² = 99.5%), but not in subjects with Graves’ disease (GD) (WMD − 4.14 ng/dl; 95% CI, − 8.46 to 0.17; P = 0.06; I² = 97.5%). Conclusions: Our findings suggested lower vitamin D levels in patients with hypothyroidism, AITD, and HT compared to healthy subjects. However, the link between serum vitamin D and GD was only significant among subjects ≥40 years old.