Our aim is evaluating the changes in weight and dietary habits in a sample of outpatients with obesity after 1 month of enforced lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Italy. In this observational retrospective study, the patients of our Obesity Unit were invited to answer to a 12-question multiple-choice questionnaire relative to weight changes, working activity, exercise, dietary habits, and conditions potentially impacting on nutritional choices. A multivariate regression analysis was performed to evaluate the associations among weight/BMI changes and the analyzed variables. A total of 150 subjects (91.5%) completed the questionnaire. Mean self-reported weight gain was ≈1.5 kg (p < 0.001). Lower exercise, self-reported boredom/solitude, anxiety/depression, enhanced eating, consumption of snacks, unhealthy foods, cereals, and sweets were correlated with a significantly higher weight gain. Multiple regression analyses showed that increased education (inversely, β = −1.15; 95%CI −2.13, −0.17, p = 0.022), self-reported anxiety/depression (β = 1.61; 0.53, 2.69, p = 0.004), and not consuming healthy foods (β = 1.48; 0.19, 2.77, p = 0.026) were significantly associated with increased weight gain. The estimated direct effect of self-reported anxiety/depression on weight was 2.07 kg (1.07, 3.07, p < 0.001). Individuals with obesity significantly gained weight 1 month after the beginning of the quarantine. The adverse mental burden linked to the COVID-19 pandemic was greatly associated with increased weight gain.

Many studies showed insulin resistance amelioration in HCV-patients achieving Sustained Virologic Response (SVR) but results on glycemic control in diabetic patients are unclear. This study aimed to assess fasting glucose (FG) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) values before and after therapy with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in HCV-patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Of the 122 consecutively recruited patients with chronic hepatitis C and T2DM, 110 patients were treated with DAAs and 12 remained untreated. Clinical, biochemical, virological, and metabolic features were collected both at baseline and at 12 weeks after the end of therapy (EOT) or after a comparable period of time in untreated patients. A total of 101 patients obtained a SVR (Group 1), while nine were relapsers. Group 2 (21 patients) was composed by the nine relapsers and the 12 untreated patients. A significant reduction of mean FG (134.3 ± 41.32 mg/dL vs 152.4 ± 56.40 mg/dL, P = 0.002) and HbA1c values (46.51 ± 16.15 mmoL/moL vs 52.15 ± 15.43 mmoL/moL, P < 0.001) was found in Group 1 but not in Group 2 (140.6 ± 47.87 mg/dL vs. 145.31 ± 30.18 mg/dL, P = 0.707, and 55.31 ± 20.58 mmoL/moL vs. 53.38 ± 9.49 mmoL/moL, P = 0.780). In Group 1, 20.7% of patients could reduce or suspend their antidiabetic therapy compared to none in Group 2 (P = 0.03), despite the significant weight increase observed in Group 1. SVR induced a significant amelioration of glycemic control in diabetic HCV-patients, despite a significant weight increase; larger prospective studies are needed to verify whether these results are maintained over the long-term.

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The microbiota composition of the offspring of women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a common pregnancy complication, is still little known. We investigated whether the GDM offspring gut microbiota composition is associated with the maternal nutritional habits, metabolic variables or pregnancy outcomes. Furthermore, we compared the GDM offspring microbiota to the microbiota of normoglycemic-mother offspring. Fecal samples of 29 GDM infants were collected during the first week of life and assessed by 16S amplicon-based sequencing. The offspring’s microbiota showed significantly lower α-diversity than the corresponding mothers. Earlier maternal nutritional habits were more strongly associated with the offspring microbiota (maternal oligosaccharide positively with infant Ruminococcus, maternal saturated fat intake inversely with infant Rikenellaceae and Ruminococcus) than last-trimester maternal habits. Principal coordinate analysis showed a separation of the infant microbiota according to the type of feeding (breastfeeding vs formula-feeding), displaying in breast-fed infants a higher abundance of Bifidobacterium. A few Bacteroides and Blautia oligotypes were shared by the GDM mothers and their offspring, suggesting a maternal microbial imprinting. Finally, GDM infants showed higher relative abundance of pro-inflammatory taxa than infants from healthy women. In conclusion, many maternal conditions impact on the microbiota composition of GDM offspring whose microbiota showed increased abundance of pro-inflammatory taxa.

The surgical treatment of bronchial carcinoids provides high long-term survival rates. Low postoperative morbidity and mortality can be expected even after bronchial reconstruction. The AC appears to be the main factor that determines the risk of recurrence. Bronchial reconstructive lung sparing operations are not related to an increased recurrence rate.

15Objective: Breast cancer (BC) is the most diagnosed cancer in women. Increasing survival rates 16shifts attention to preventive strategies. Obesity and intestinal microbiota (IM) composition may be 17 associated with BC. Mediterranean Diet (MD) proved to be protective. The aim of this study was to 18 assess the efficacy of probiotics in addition to MD versus diet alone in influencing gut microbiota 19and metabolic profile in overweight BC survivors. 20Methods: 34 BC survivor were randomized to MD for 4 months plus 1 sachet/day of probiotics 21(Bifidobacterium longum BB536, Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001) for the first 2 months 22(intervention group, n=16) or MD alone for 4 months (control group, n=18). Anthropometric and 23 nutritional assessments, adherence to MD, compliance to physical activity and metabolic 24 parameters dosage were performed at baseline (T0), at 2 (T2) and at 4-months (T4). IM analysis 25 was performed at T0 and T2. 26Results: After 2-months of probiotic administration the number of bacterial species (p=0.01) and 27 the bacterial diversity assessed with the Chao1 index (p=0.004) significantly increased, no 28 significant variations were detected after diet alone. The Bacteroidetes-/-Firmicutes ratio 29 significantly decreased in the intervention group and increased in controls (p=0.004). Significant 30 reductions of body weight, body mass index (BMI), fasting glucose and Homeostasis-Model 31Assessment Insulin-Resistance (HOMA-IR) were observed at T4 in both groups, in the intervention 32 group also waist circumference (p=0.012), waist/hip ratio (p=0.045) and fasting insulin (p=0.017) 33 significantly decreased. 34Conclusions: Probiotics in addition to MD positively influence the gut microbiota and improve 35 metabolic and anthropometric parameters respect to MD alone. 36 37

The mass media has increasingly frequently suggested to the general population that specific foods or nutritional schemes are able to affect both human metabolism and energy expenditure, thus facilitating weight loss. This critical review is aimed at assessing available evidence on the roles of nutrients, food and dietary regimens in energy intake and energy expenditure. We queried the National Library of Medicine, the Cochrane Library, Excerpta Medica dataBASEand the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature database, and a search strategy was performed by using database-specific subject headings and keywords. We found that available scientific evidence on these topics is scarce, and that the limited number of available studies often have poor methodological quality. Only a few foods show beneficial effects on metabolism and energy expenditure, as the human energy balance is complex and multifactorial. Finally, microbiota may interfere with the intake, use and expenditure of energy in the human body. Conclusive evidence is still lacking, and, at present, it is not possible to identify a food or a diet with a significant impact on human energy expenditure.

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