Redox Balance and Inflammatory Response in Follicular Fluids of Women Recovered by SARS-CoV-2 Infection or Anti-COVID-19 Vaccinated: A Combined Metabolomics and Biochemical Study.

To date, not many studies have presented evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infecting the female reproductive system. Furthermore, so far, no effect of the administration of anti-COVID 19 vaccines has been reported to affect the quality of oocytes retrieved from women who resorted to assisted reproduction technology (ART). The FF metabolic profiles of women who had been infected by SARS-CoV-2 before IVF treatments or after COVID-19 vaccination were examined by 1H NMR. Immunochemical characterization of proteins and cytokines involved in the redox and inflammatory pathways was performed. The increased expression of SOD2 and NQO1, the lack of alteration of IL-6 and CXCL10 levels, as well as the increased expression of CD39, suggested that, both sharing similar molecular mechanisms or proceeding along different routes, the redox balance is controlled in the FF of both vaccinated and recovered women compared to controls. The lower amount of metabolites known to have proinflammatory activity, i.e., TMAO and lipids, further supported the biochemical results, suggesting that the FF microenvironment is controlled so as to guarantee oocyte quality and does not compromise the outcome of ART. In terms of the number of blastocysts obtained after ICSI and the pregnancy rate, the results are also comforting.

A Pilot Study on Biochemical Profile of Follicular Fluid in Breast Cancer Patients.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common type of cancer among women in almost all countries worldwide and is one of the oncological pathologies for which is indicated fertility preservation, a type of procedure used to help keep a person's ability to have children. Follicular fluid (FF) is a major component of oocyte microenvironment, which is involved in oocyte growth, follicular maturation, and in communication between germ and somatic cells; furthermore, it accumulates all metabolites during oocytes growth. To obtain information about changes on fertility due to cancer, we aimed at investigating potential biomarkers to discriminate between FF samples obtained from 16 BC patients and 10 healthy women undergoing in vitro fertilization treatments. An NMR-based metabolomics approach was performed to investigate the FF metabolic profiles; ELISA and western blotting assays were used to investigate protein markers of oxidative and inflammatory stress, which are processes closely related to cancer. Our results seem to suggest that FFs of BC women display some significant metabolic alterations in comparison to healthy controls, and these variations are also related with tumor staging.

Are the Follicular Fluid Characteristics of Recovered Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients Different From Those of Vaccinated Women Approaching in vitro Fertilization?

The aim of this pilot study is to evaluate if SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 infection induce observable metabolic effects in follicular fluid of women who are following in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments. The possible impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on fertility and IVF outcome is considered. We have selected for this study: six women vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 infection, five recovered COVID-19 patients, and we used nine healthy women as the control group. At the time of oocytes retrieval from participants in the study, follicular fluids were collected and metabolomic analysis was performed by 1H NMR spectroscopy in combination with multivariate analysis to interpret the spectral data. The search for antibody positivity in the follicular fluid aspirates was also carried out, together with the western blotting analysis of some inflammatory proteins, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), and the free radical scavenger superoxide dismutase 2. Higher levels of Ala and Pro together with lower levels of lipids and trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) were found in follicular fluids (FFs) of vaccinated women while lower levels of many metabolites were detected in FFs of recovered COVID patients. Expression level of TNF-α was significantly lower both in recovered COVID-19 patients and vaccinated women in comparison to healthy controls.