Targeting signaling pathways involved in primordial follicle growth or dormancy: potential application in prevention of follicular loss and infertility.

INTRODUCTION: Premature ovarian failure (POF) is one of the important causes of infertility in females. To date, no efficient preventive pharmacological treatment has been offered to prevent POF. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on strategies that provide a normal reproductive lifespan to females at risk of developing POF. AREAS COVERED: Recently, attention has been drawn to discovering pathways involved in primordial follicle activation, as the inhibition of this process might maintain the stock of primordial follicles and therefore, prevent POF. In vitro and animal studies have resulted in the discovery of several of these pathways that can be used to develop new treatments for POF. These studies show crosstalk of these pathways at different levels. One of the important crossing points of many of these pathways involves anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH). Herein, we discuss different aspects of this topic by reviewing related published articles indexed in PubMed and Web of Science as of December 2021. EXPERT OPINION: Although the findings seem promising, most of the studies were conducted on animals, and the interaction between these factors and the possible outcomes of their administration in the long term are still unknown. Therefore, further investigation is necessary to assess these aspects.

Adherence of the General Public to Self-Protection Guidelines During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is rapidly growing due to a high level of contagiousness. Different measures have been taken to slow the spread of the virus. Appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is one of these key measures. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated adherence of the general public to use of PPE and their knowledge regarding the rationale behind their use. METHODS: Two samples were chosen from public places (a subway station and a city store) in Tehran, Iran, one of the countries affected by COVID-19. Individuals were observed for appropriate use of PPE and interviewed regarding their knowledge on some basic self-protection information. RESULTS: Approximately half of the 431 participants did not take any measures to ensure hand hygiene, whereas those who did not use respiratory protection were far fewer. A considerable number of individuals, however, did not use these PPE correctly. On the other hand, there was a gap in the knowledge of the general public regarding different aspects of protective measures. The majority of the participants were receptive toward education on preventive measurements through public media. CONCLUSION: Education is an important aspect in containing the COVID-19 pandemic, as it directly increases adherence of the general public to protective measures.

Body Mass Index as a Predictor of Symptom Duration in COVID-19 Outpatients.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a risk factor for various diseases and can affect the disease course. Studies have shown detrimental effects of obesity on patients affected with SARS-CoV-2 including increased hospitalization and more severe disease. This study aims to investigate the effects of obesity on symptom duration in patients with COVID-19, and also explore the possibility of using BMI as a predictor of symptom duration in outpatient settings. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between June and October 2020, who had no other comorbidities, and were planned to receive treatment in the outpatient setting were enrolled in the study. Duration of the symptoms was determined based on participants' self-report of their symptoms. Linear regression was used to create predictive models based on participants' BMI, age, sex, disease presentation, and their self-reported symptom duration. RESULTS: A total of 210 patients were included in the final analysis. Patients with higher BMI had significantly longer symptom duration. Linear regression models showed highest correlation between BMI and symptom duration compared to other covariates. CONCLUSION: Low error in predictions and high coverage of data variability showed BMI can be used as a predictive factor for symptom duration in COVID-19 patients treated in outpatient settings.