A pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been spreading throughout the world. Though molecular diagnostic tests are the gold standard for COVID-19, serological testing is emerging as a potential surveillance tool, in addition to its complementary role in COVID-19 diagnostics. Indubitably quantitative serological testing provides greater advantages than qualitative tests but today there is still little known about serological diagnostics and what the most appropriate role quantitative tests might play. Sixty-one COVID-19 patients and 64 patients from a control group were tested by iFlash1800 CLIA analyzer for anti-SARS CoV-2 antibodies IgM and IgG. All COVID-19 patients were hospitalized in San Giovanni di Dio Hospital (Florence, Italy) and had a positive oro/nasopharyngeal swab reversetranscription polymerase chain reaction result. The highest sensitivity with a very good specificity performance was reached at a cutoff value of 10.0 AU/mL for IgM and of 7.1 for IgG antibodies, hence near to the manufacturer's cutoff values of 10 AU/mL for both isotypes. The receiver operating characteristic curves showed area under the curve values of 0.918 and 0.980 for anti-SARS CoV-2 antibodies IgM and IgG, respectively. iFlash1800 CLIA analyzer has shown highly accurate results for the anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies profile and can be considered an excellent tool for COVID-19 diagnostics.

Calcium released in the bone microenvironment during remodeling is a major factor in regulating bone cells. Osteoblast and osteoclast proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis are influenced by local extracellular calcium concentration. Thus, the calcium-sensing properties of skeletal cells can be exploited in order to modulate bone turnover and can explain the bone anabolic effects of agents developed and employed to revert osteoporosis.

Development of tools to be used for in vivo bone tissue regeneration focuses on cellular models and differentiation processes. In searching for all the optimal sources, adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADSCs or preadipocytes) are able to differentiate into osteoblasts with analogous characteristics to bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, producing alkaline phosphatase (ALP), collagen, osteocalcin, and calcified nodules, mainly composed of hydroxyapatite (HA). The possibility to influence bone differentiation of stem cells encompasses local and systemic methods, including the use of drugs administered systemically. Among the latter, strontium ranelate (SR) represents an interesting compound, acting as an uncoupling factor that stimulates bone formation and inhibits bone resorption. The aim of our study was to evaluate the in vitro effects of a wide range of strontium (Sr2+) concentrations on proliferation, ALP activity, and mineralization of a novel finite clonal hADSCs cell line, named PA20-h5. Sr2+ promoted PA20-h5 cell proliferation while inducing the increase of ALP activity and gene expression as well as HA production during in vitro osteoinduction. These findings indicate a role for Sr2+ in supporting bone regeneration during the process of skeletal repair in general, and, more specifically, when cell therapies are applied.

BACKGROUND During COVID‐19 pandemic, the early diagnosis of patients is a priority. Serological assays, in particular IgM and IgG anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2, have today several applications but the interpretation of their results remain an open challenge. Given the emerging role of the IgA isotype in the COVID‐19 diagnostics, we aimed to identify the SARS‐CoV‐2 IgA antibodies in a COVID‐19 population seronegative for IgM. METHODS A total of 30 patients hospitalized in San Giovanni di Dio Hospital (Florence, Italy) for COVID‐19, seronegative for IgM antibodies, have been studied for anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies. They all had a positive oro/nasopharyngeal swab reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction result. Assays used were a chemiluminescent assay measuring SARS‐CoV‐2 specific IgM and IgG (S+N) and an ELISA, measuring specific IgG (S1) and IgA antibodies against SARS‐CoV‐2. RESULTS Among the 30 patients, eight were positive for IgA, seven were positive for IgG (N+S) and two for IgG (S1), at first point (5‐7 days from the onset of symptoms). The IgA antibodies mean values at the second (9‐13 days) and third (21‐25 days) time points were even more than twice as high as IgG assays. The agreement between the two IgG assays was moderate (Cohen's K = 0.59; SE = 0.13). CONCLUSIONS The inclusion of the IgA antibodies determination among serological tests of the COVID‐19 diagnostic is recommended. IgA antibodies may help to close the serological gap of the COVID‐19. Variations among anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 IgG assays should be considered in the interpretation of results. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower incidence of atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, and some types of cancer. Recent interest has been focused on the biological activity of phenolic compounds present in extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs). Both in vivo and in vitro studies have shown that EVOO components have positive effects on metabolic parameters, such as plasma lipoproteins, oxidative damage, inflammatory markers, platelet function, and antimicrobial activity. We have investigated the possible interactions between 2 extracts of extra virgin olive oil and estrogen receptor β (ERβ) in an in vitro model of colon cancer. The qualification and quantification of the components of the 2 samples tested showed that phenolic compounds-hydroxytyrosol, secoiridoids, and lignans-are the major represented compounds. EVOO extracts were tested on a colon cancer cell line engineered to overexpress ERβ (HCT8-β8). By using custom made Oligo microarray, gene expression profiles of colon cancer cells challenged with EVOO-T extracts when compared with those of cells exposed to 17β-estradiol (17β-E2). This study demonstrated that the EVOO extracts tested showed an antiproliferative effect on colon cancer cells through the interaction with estrogen-dependent signals involved in tumor cell growth. Specifically, the ability of EVOO extracts to inhibit cell proliferation was superimposable to the activation of the ERβ receptor, similar to what was observed after 17β-E2 challenge.