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Selenium supplementation could be effective on reproductive outcomes, biomarkers of inflammation, and oxidative stress among women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The aim of the study was to determine the effects of selenium supplementation on reproductive outcomes, biomarkers of inflammation, and oxidative stress in PCOS patients. The present randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted on 64 women aged 18-40 years old with PCOS at the clinic affiliated to Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran. The participants were randomly assigned to 2 groups receiving either 200 μg selenium daily (n = 32) or placebo (n = 32) for 8 weeks. Hormonal profiles, biomarkers of inflammation, and oxidative stress were measured and compared both before and after the treatment. After 8 weeks of intervention, pregnancy rate in the seleniumgroup was higher than in the placebo group: 18.8 (6/32) vs. 3.1 % (1/32), p = 0.04. In addition, alopecia (40.6 vs. 9.4 %, p = 0.004) and acne (46.9 vs. 12.5 %, p = 0.003) decreased following the consumption of selenium supplements compared with placebo. Additionally, patients who received selenium supplements had significantly decreased serum dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) levels (p = 0.02), hirsutism (modified Ferriman-Gallwey scores) (p < 0.001), serum high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (p = 0.02), and plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (p = 0.01) compared with placebo. We did not observe any significant effects of taking selenium supplements on other hormonal profiles, nitric oxide (NO), and other biomarkers of oxidative stress. Taken together, selenium supplementation for 8 weeks among PCOS women had beneficial effects on reproductive outcomes, DHEA, hs-CRP, and MDA levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease distributed worldwide. Early infection by these protozoa can develop an antibody response which is preventive of abortion and congenital Toxoplasmosis in pregnant women. This study was conducted to determine Seroprevalence of Toxoplasmosis in women referring to Kashan Reference Laboratory. Methods: This descriptive study was carried out in 2008-2012. Blood samples of 434 women referring to Reference laboratory were examined for IgG and IgM antibody of Toxoplasmosis by Elisa method. Results: Out of 434 women, 311 (71.66%) were seronegative, 123 (28.34%) had IgG antibody (≥10 IU/ML), and 7 (1.6%) cases were positive for IgM antibody spontaneously (>=1.1 IU/ML).The highest seropsitive rate was identified in 25-35 year-oldgroup (46.3%) and 35-45 year-old group (26%) respectively. In 36.6% of seropsitive women, a 10-50 IU/ML of IgG antibody was detected and only 5 subjects(4.1%) enjoyed up to 250 IU/ML antibody. Conclusion: This study showed that a high rate (71.66%) of women who had referred to Kashan Reference Laboratory were negative for Toxoplasmosis antibody. This is very important for the reason that many of the pregnant women are susceptible and thus exposed to Toxoplasmosisis. So preventive and educational measures are recommended for women in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Data on the effects of folic acid supplementation on clinical symptoms and metabolic profiles of patients with endometrial hyperplasia (EH) are limited. This investigation was performed to evaluate the effects of folic acid supplementation on clinical symptoms and metabolic status of patients with EH., Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted among 60 women diagnosed with EH. Diagnosis of EH was made based on biopsy results. Participants were randomly allocated to 2 groups to take 5 mg/d folic acid supplements (n = 30) or placebo (n = 30) for 12 weeks., Results: After the 12-week intervention, folic acid supplementation significantly decreased fasting plasma glucose (β -3.99 mg/ dL; 95% CI, -7.39, -0.59; P = 0.02), serum insulin levels (β -2.82 µIU/mL; 95% CI, -4.86, -0.77; P = 0.008), homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (β -0.68; 95% CI, -1.20, -0.17; P = 0.009), triglycerides (β -16.47 mg/dL; 95% CI, -28.72, -4.22; P = 0.009) and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol (β -3.29 mg/dL; 95% CI, -5.74, -0.84; P = 0.009), and significantly increased the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (β 0.01; 95% CI, 0.004, 0.03; P = 0.01) compared with the placebo. Additionally, folic acid intake resulted in a significant reduction in serum high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (β -0.36 mg/L; 95% CI, -0.52, -0.21; P < 0.001) compared with the placebo. Folic acid supplementation did not affect other metabolic parameters., Conclusion: In conclusion, we found that folic acid administration for 12 weeks to subjects with EH improved glycemic control, triglycerides, VLDL-cholesterol and hs-CRP levels, but did not influence recurrence and other metabolic profiles., (© 2018 The Author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.)

Objective: We are aware of no study examining the effects of selenium supplementation on metabolic profiles of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of selenium supplementation on glucose homeostasis parameters and lipid concentrations in women with PCOS., Design, Patients and Measurements: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted among 70 women diagnosed with PCOS and aged 18-40 years old. Participants were randomly divided into two groups to receive 200 μg per day selenium supplements (N = 35) or placebo (N = 35) for 8 weeks. Fasting blood samples were taken at baseline and after 8 weeks intervention to quantify glucose, insulin and lipid concentrations., Results: After 8 weeks of intervention, subjects who received selenium supplements had significantly decreased serum insulin levels (-29·83 ± 47·29 vs +9·07 ± 77·12 pmol/l, P = 0·013), homeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (-1·15 ± 1·81 vs +0·42 ± 3·09, P = 0·011), homeostatic model assessment-beta-cell function (HOMA-B) (-19·06 ± 30·95 vs +4·55 ± 47·99, P = 0·017) and increased quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) (+0·03 ± 0·04 vs +0·0009 ± 0·05, P = 0·032) compared with placebo. In addition, supplementation with selenium resulted in a significant reduction in serum triglycerides (-0·14 ± 0·55 vs +0·11 ± 0·30 mmol/l, P = 0·025) and VLDL-C concentrations (-0·03 ± 0·11 vs +0·02 ± 0·06 mmol/l, P = 0·025) compared with placebo., Conclusions: In conclusion, 200 microgram per day selenium supplementation for 8 weeks among PCOS women had beneficial effects on insulin metabolism parameters, triglycerides and VLDL-C levels; however, it did not affect FPG and other lipid profiles., (© 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)