Evaluation of ammonia and odour emissions from animal slurry and digestate storage in the Po Valley (Italy).

Ammonia and odour emissions from one lagoon (Lagoon 1: pig slurry) and three tanks (Tank 2: cow slurry; Tank 3: digestate from pig slurry and energy crops; Tank 4: digestate from pig and cow slurries plus energy crop) used for slurry storage were sampled for two years (2015-2017) in livestock farms that differed for animal breeding and manure management (anaerobic digestion). On average, the ammonia emission rate (AER) was higher for Tank 3 (AER of 30.68 ± 28.1 g N-NH3 m-2 d-1) than for Lagoon 1 and Tank 2 and 4, i.e. 9.29 ± 14.89 gN-NH3 m-2 d-1, 9.38 ± 13.75 g N-NH3 m-2 d-1, 15.74 ± 21.91 g N-NH3 m-2 d-1, respectively. PLS regression analysis (R2 = 0.544; R2Adj. = 0.484) indicated that temperature was the main predictor of ammonia emitted, followed by concentration in the slurry of total ammonia and the relative percentage of volatile solids (VS). On the other hand, PLS analysis (R2 = 0.529, R2adj. = 0.417) indicated that odour emissions from animal slurry storages depended similarly upon total solids and VS (both referred to fresh weight) slurry contents, TAN/TKN ratio and degrees of biological stability (measured by anaerobic biogas potential - ABP), resulting in the Specific Odours Emission Rates (SOER) of 12,124 ± 7,914 and 35,207 ± 41,706 OUE m-2 h-1, 65,430 ± 45,360 and 43,971 ± 53,350 OUE m-2 h-1, for Lagoon 1 and Tanks 2, 3 and 4. These results suggest covering the tanks to limit both ammonia and odour emissions.

Perioperative multidisciplinary management of endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery for sellar lesions: practical suggestions from the Padova model.

Perioperative management of patients with sellar lesion submitted to endoscopic transsphenoidal neurosurgery (TSS) lacks standardization and therefore it is committed to each center clinical practice. Although neurosurgical procedure remains the same for all sellar lesions, perioperative approach can require different measures depending on the underlying disease. With the aim of standardizing our perioperative procedures and sharing our experience with other centers involved in the management of pituitary disease, we developed a clinical care path for patients with sellar lesions candidate to endoscopic TSS. For the drafting of the following protocol, the national and international guidelines published in the last 5 years have been evaluated and integrated with our center experience accumulated in decades of clinical practice. A steering committee including medical doctors involved in management of patients with pituitary masses at the Padua Hospital reviewed current knowledge on this topic. The committee developed a first draft which was shared with a broader group of medical doctors to reach a preliminary consensus; when it was reached, the clinical care assistance pathway was confirmed, validated, and published in the local web-based health service. We want to present and share our experience with colleagues involved in the perioperative management of pituitary diseases in other centers.

Pasireotide treatment reduces cardiometabolic risk in Cushing's disease patients: an Italian, multicenter study.

PURPOSE: Patients with Cushing's disease (CD) experience metabolic alterations leading to increased cardiovascular mortality. Recently, the visceral adiposity index (VAI) has been proposed as a marker of visceral adipose tissue dysfunction (ATD) and of the related cardiometabolic risk. We aimed to evaluate the impact of 12-month pasireotide treatment on cardiometabolic risk in CD patients. METHODS: This is a multicentre, prospective, and observational study. Sixteen CD patients, referred to the Endocrine Units of the University Hospitals of Messina, Napoli, Padova, and Palermo (Italy), successfully treated with pasireotide for 12 month have been enrolled. In all patients, we assessed anthropometric, clinical, and biochemical parameters and calculated VAI, ATD severity, Framingham, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk scores, before and after 6 and 12 months of treatment with pasireotide (1200-1800 mcg/daily). RESULTS: Before starting pasireotide treatment, ATD was present in 7/16 patients (mild in 2/16, moderate in 3/16, and severe 2/16). After 12 months of treatment: (i) 24h-urinary free cortisol levels (p = 0.003), BMI (p < 0.001), waist circumference (p = 0.001), LDL-cholesterol (p = 0.033), total-cholesterol (p = 0.032), triglycerides (p = 0.030), VAI (p = 0.015), and ATD severity (p = 0.026) were significantly decreased as compared to baseline; (ii) ATD was present in only 1/16 patients; (iii) prevalence of diabetes mellitus (p = 0.015) and HbA1c levels (p = 0.001) were significantly increased as compared to baseline; (iv) Framingham and ASCVD risk scores were not significantly different from pre-treatment values. CONCLUSIONS: Twelve-month pasireotide treatment significantly reduces VAI and ATD in CD patients. These positive effects on cardiometabolic risk occur despite no change in Framingham and ASCVD risk scores and the increase in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus.

Medical Treatment for Acromegaly does not Increase the Risk of Central Adrenal Insufficiency: A Long-Term Follow-Up Study.

Central adrenal insufficiency (CAI) in acromegaly may be related to pituitary adenoma or induced by various medical treatments, transsphenoidal neurosurgery (TNS) or radiotherapy (RT), alone or combined. We assessed the role of all available treatments for acromegaly in inducing CAI. We retrospectively studied 97 patients. CAI was diagnosed if morning serum cortisol was <138 nmol/l, or if its response was inadequate in the low-dose short synacthen test. Seventy-four subjects underwent TNS (and 17 of whom also underwent RT), and 23 were on primary medical therapy: overall we diagnosed 21 cases of CAI. Duration of acromegaly, invasion of cavernous sinus, disease control, and type of medical treatment were much the same for patients with and without CAI, which was identified in 18% of patients (10/57) after one TNS, and in 53% (9/17) after RT (p=0.01); repeat surgery increased the risk of CAI (p=0.02). The risk of CAI onset during the follow-up was lower among patients treated with TNS or medical therapy than after RT (p=0.035). Medical treatment did not raise the risk of CAI, whereas a 5- and 4-fold higher risk of CAI was associated with repeat TNS and RT, respectively. Basal or stimulated cortisol levels were similar among acromegalic patients without CAI and matched controls with nonsecreting pituitary lesions. A significant proportion of patients with acromegaly developed CAI over time. While primary or secondary medical treatment did not contribute to the risk of CAI, repeat TNS and RT correlated with pituitary-adrenal axis impairment.

An analysis of different therapeutic options in patients with Cushing's syndrome due to bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia: a single-centre experience.

CONTEXT: Bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia (BMAH) is a rare form of Cushing's syndrome (CS). A variety of in vivo tests to identify aberrant receptor expression have been proposed to guide medical treatment. Unilateral adrenalectomy (UA) may be effective in selected patients, but little is known about recurrence during follow-up. OBJECTIVE: To describe a series of patients with BMAH and CS treated by different approaches, with a particular focus on the benefit of UA. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: We retrospectively assessed 16 patients with BMAH and CS (11 females, five males), analysing the in vivo cortisol response to different provocative tests. Twelve of the 16 patients underwent UA and were monitored over the long term. RESULTS: Based on in vivo test results, octreotide LAR or propranolol was administered in one case of food-dependent CS and two patients with a positive postural test. A significant improvement in biochemical values was seen in all patients but with limited clinical response. UA was performed in 12 patients, producing long-term remission in three (106 ± 28 months; range: 80-135), recurrence in eight (after 54 ± 56 months; range 12-180) and persistence in one other. Four patients subsequently underwent contralateral adrenalectomy for overt CS, one received ketoconazole, and four other patients remain under observation for subclinical CS. CONCLUSIONS: Medical treatment based on cortisol response to provocative tests had a limited role in our patients, whereas UA was useful in some of them. Although recurrence is likely, the timing of onset is variable and close follow-up is mandatory to identify it.

The role of an acute pasireotide suppression test in predicting response to treatment in patients with Cushing's disease: findings from a pilot study.

Pasireotide is a multireceptor-targeted somatostatin analog effective in the treatment of Cushing's disease (CD). We evaluate the value of an acute pasireotide suppression test (PST) in predicting response to medium/long-term treatment in CD. Nineteen patients with active CD were prospectively investigated at two referral centers from May 2013 to August 2014. Follow-up data (median 6 months; range 1-9 months) were available for sixteen patients. All patients received at 09:00 h a single subcutaneous (sc) injection of 600 µg pasireotide. Serum cortisol and plasma ACTH were assessed before, and every 2 h for 8 h after, drug administration. Late-night salivary cortisol (LNSC) was assessed before and after pasireotide administration. After acute PST, all patients were continued on pasireotide 600 µg sc twice a day. During PST, cortisol and ACTH levels quickly decreased in all patients except one with a mean percentage fall, respectively, of 48.9 ± 24.3 and 48.1 ± 25.4 % compared to baseline. LNSC decreased in about 82 % of patients (14/17) achieving a normalization in five of them. Pasireotide treatment was associated with a normalization of 24-h urinary-free cortisol at last follow-up in about 68 % of patients. A fall >27 % of LNSC during PST calculated by ROC curve was the best parameter in predicting a positive response to treatment with pasireotide (sensitivity 91 %; specificity 100 %; positive predictive value 100 %; negative predictive value 75 %). Acute PST may be useful to identify CD patients who will benefit from pasireotide treatment. A LNSC fall >27 % as well as a LNSC normalization during PST is associated with a probability of 100 % of achieving a favorable response to pasireotide treatment in the medium/long term.

Combination therapy for Cushing's disease: effectiveness of two schedules of treatment: should we start with cabergoline or ketoconazole?

Cushing's disease (CD) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Until now, no medical treatment has been shown to be totally satisfactory when administrated alone. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of cabergoline with added ketoconazole and of the same combination in reverse, using urinary free cortisol (UFC) and late night salivary cortisol (LNSC) levels as biochemical markers of the treatments' efficacy in CD patients. A prospective analysis conducted on 14 patients (f/m = 12/2; median age 52, range 33-70 years) divided into two groups: 6 patients initially treated with cabergoline for 4-6 months (rising from 0.5-1 mg/week up to 3.0 mg/week), after which ketoconazole was added (group A); and 8 patients first took ketoconazole alone for 4-6 months (rising from 200 mg/day to 600 mg/day), then cabergoline was added (group B). Patients were compared with 14 age-matched patients in prolonged remission after effective neurosurgery for CD. The combination therapy led to UFC normalization in 79 % of patients with no differences between the groups; only one patient failed to respond at all. Neither drug succeeded in controlling the disease when taken alone. LNSC dropped when compared to baseline levels, but not to a significant degree (p = 0.06), and it remained significantly higher than in controls (p = 0.0006). Associating cabergoline with ketoconazole may represent an effective second-line treatment, achieving a satisfactory reduction in UFC levels and clinical improvement. Although the combined treatment lowered patients' LNSC levels, they remained higher than normal, indicating a persistent subclinical hypercortisolism; the implications of this condition need to be considered. No differences emerged between the two treatment schedules.