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Consensus and Controversial Aspects of Vitamin D and COVID-19.
Bilezikian, JP, Binkley, N, De Luca, HF, Fassio, A, Formenti, AM, El-Hajj Fuleihan, G, Heijboer, AC, Giustina, A
The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. 2023;(5):1034-1042
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This work aims to review and discuss controversial topics in the field of vitamin D, SARS-CoV-2 infection, and COVID-19. METHODS The International Conferences "Controversies in Vitamin D" are a series of workshops that started in 2017 featuring international experts and leaders in vitamin D research and clinical practice. The fifth annual conference was held in Stresa, Italy, September 15 to 18, 2021. EVIDENCE Before the event, participants reviewed available studies on their assigned topic, drafted a related abstract, and presented their findings at the time of the conference. Relevant literature that became available since was also discussed within the panel and updated accordingly. CONSENSUS Before the event, the drafted abstracts had been merged to prepare a preliminary document. After the conference presentations, in-depth discussions in open sessions led to consensus. The document was subsequently modified according to discussions and up-to-date literature inclusion. CONCLUSIONS There is quite consistent evidence for an association between low 25 OH vitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and poor COVID-19 outcomes, despite heterogeneous publications of variable quality. However, the low vitamin D status in COVID-19 patients might also reflect reverse causality. Vitamin D supplementation might have a positive role in COVID-19 prevention. The evidence supporting a beneficial effect of vitamin D treatment in decreasing the risk of COVID-19 complications is conflicting. Conclusive statements regarding the beneficial effect of vitamin D in this context await high-quality, randomized controlled trials.
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Management of Primary Hyperparathyroidism.
Bilezikian, JP, Silverberg, SJ, Bandeira, F, Cetani, F, Chandran, M, Cusano, NE, Ebeling, PR, Formenti, AM, Frost, M, Gosnell, J, et al
Journal of bone and mineral research : the official journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. 2022;(11):2391-2403
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Since the last international guidelines were published in 2014 on the evaluation and management of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), new information has become available with regard to evaluation, diagnosis, epidemiology, genetics, classical and nonclassical manifestations, surgical and nonsurgical approaches, and natural history. To provide the most current summary of these developments, an international group, consisting of over 50 experts in these various aspects of PHPT, was convened. This paper provides the results of the task force that was assigned to review the information on the management of PHPT. For this task force on the management of PHPT, two questions were the subject of systematic reviews using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) methodology. The full report addressing surgical and nonsurgical management of PHPT, utilizing the GRADE methodology, is published separately in this series. In this report, we summarize the results of that methodological review and expand them to encompass a much larger body of new knowledge that did not specifically fit the criteria of the GRADE methodology. Together, both the systematic and narrative reviews of the literature, summarized in this paper, give the most complete information available to date. A panel of experts then considered the last set of international guidelines in light of the newer data and assessed the need for their revision. This report provides the evidentiary background to the guidelines report. In that report, evidence from all task forces is synthesized into a summary statement and revised guidelines for the evaluation and management of PHPT. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).
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European Expert Consensus on Practical Management of Specific Aspects of Parathyroid Disorders in Adults and in Pregnancy: Recommendations of the ESE Educational Program of Parathyroid Disorders.
Bollerslev, J, Rejnmark, L, Zahn, A, Heck, A, Appelman-Dijkstra, NM, Cardoso, L, Hannan, FM, Cetani, F, Sikjær, T, Formenti, AM, et al
European journal of endocrinology. 2022;(2):R33-R63
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This European expert consensus statement provides recommendations for the diagnosis and management of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), chronic hypoparathyroidism in adults (HypoPT), and parathyroid disorders in relation to pregnancy and lactation. Specified areas of interest and unmet needs identified by experts at the second ESE Educational Program of Parathyroid Disorders (PARAT) in 2019, were discussed during two virtual workshops in 2021, and subsequently developed by working groups with interest in the specified areas. PHPT is a common endocrine disease. However, its differential diagnosing to familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (FHH), the definition and clinical course of normocalcemic PHPT, and the optimal management of its recurrence after surgery represent areas of uncertainty requiring clarifications. HypoPT is an orphan disease characterized by low calcium concentrations due to insufficient PTH secretion, most often secondary to neck surgery. Prevention and prediction of surgical injury to the parathyroid glands are essential to limit the disease-related burden. Long-term treatment modalities including the place for PTH replacement therapy and the optimal biochemical monitoring and imaging surveillance for complications to treatment in chronic HypoPT, need to be refined. The physiological changes in calcium metabolism occurring during pregnancy and lactation modify the clinical presentation and management of parathyroid disorders in these periods of life. Modern interdisciplinary approaches to PHPT and HypoPT in pregnant and lactating women and their newborns children are proposed. The recommendations on clinical management presented here will serve as background for further educational material aimed for a broader clinical audience, and were developed with focus on endocrinologists in training.
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Role of vitamin D in diabetic retinopathy: Pathophysiological and clinical aspects.
Tecilazich, F, Formenti, AM, Giustina, A
Reviews in endocrine & metabolic disorders. 2021;(4):715-727
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Epidemiological data predict a dramatic increase in the prevalence of diabetes and of diabetic retinopathy (DR) - the most common complication of diabetes-for which however we do not have so far effective tools for prevention and treatment. Since hypovitaminosis D is very frequent in patients with diabetes and vitamin D (VD) has vascular protective properties, several studies have addressed the association of VD deficiency with DR and its severity and progression, whereas the effects of VD supplementation on its natural history are largely unknown. Here we review the available evidence that supports the possible protective role of VD in DR and suggests to determine the VD levels in DR patients calling for a definitive randomized clinical trial to ascertain whether VD supplementation could protect against DR.
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Autofluorescence and Indocyanine Green in Thyroid Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Barbieri, D, Indelicato, P, Vinciguerra, A, Di Marco, F, Formenti, AM, Trimarchi, M, Bussi, M
The Laryngoscope. 2021;(7):1683-1692
Abstract
OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS To estimate the impact of optical techniques on prevention of post-operative hypocalcemia and hypoparathyroidism after total thyroidectomy. STUDY DESIGN Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS A literature search was conducted in Pubmed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and Cochrane databases. The main inclusion criteria for eligible articles for meta-analysis were patients with benign or malignant thyroid pathologies who underwent total thyroidectomy, utilization of optical techniques to support PGs preservation, the availability of calcium and/or PTH levels. The primary outcome was to evaluate the variation of calcium and PTH levels when adopting optical technologies compared to standard naked-eye surgery. RESULTS In total, 13 papers with 1484 procedures were included. Pooled proportion for short- and medium-term hypocalcemia rates were 8% (95% CI, 5%:11%) and 1% (95% CI, 0%:4%) for optical techniques, while for naked-eye surgery were 15% (95% CI, 9%:23%) and 5% (95% CI, 2%:9%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Optical technologies reduced short and medium term hypocalcemia compared to conventional surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE NA Laryngoscope, 131:1683-1692, 2021.
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Vitamin D in the Covid-19 era: a review with recommendations from a G.I.O.S.E.G. expert panel.
Ulivieri, FM, Banfi, G, Camozzi, V, Colao, A, Formenti, AM, Frara, S, Lombardi, G, Napoli, N, Giustina, A
Endocrine. 2021;(3):597-603
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Vitamin D (VITD) is a key hormone for bone health and has relevant extra-skeletal effects that might play a role in the prevention and treatment of COronaVIrus Disease 19 (COVID-19). Literature regarding this scenario is voluminous but controversial. Glucocorticoid Induced Osteoporosis Skeletal Endocrinology Group (G.I.O.S.E.G) has been present in the scientific debate about the use of VITD and has regularly interfaced national regulatory agencies to ensure appropriateness of its employment. Given the current pandemic and the questions on COVID-19 and VITD, G.I.O.S.E.G. appointed an expert panel to advise how to consider this issue best. The results of these deliberations are reported in the current recommendation paper.
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Vitamin D: Dosing, levels, form, and route of administration: Does one approach fit all?
Bilezikian, JP, Formenti, AM, Adler, RA, Binkley, N, Bouillon, R, Lazaretti-Castro, M, Marcocci, C, Napoli, N, Rizzoli, R, Giustina, A
Reviews in endocrine & metabolic disorders. 2021;(4):1201-1218
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The 4th International Conference on Controversies in Vitamin D was held as a virtual meeting in September, 2020, gathering together leading international scientific and medical experts in vitamin D. Since vitamin D has a crucial role in skeletal and extra-skeletal systems, the aim of the Conference was to discuss improved management of vitamin D dosing, therapeutic levels and form or route of administration in the general population and in different clinical conditions. A tailored approach, based on the specific mechanisms underlying vitamin D deficiency in different diseases that were discussed, was recommended. Specifically, in comparison to healthy populations, higher levels of vitamin D and greater amounts of vitamin D were deemed necessary in osteoporosis, diabetes mellitus, obesity (particularly after bariatric surgery), and in those treated with glucocorticoids. Emerging and still open issues were related to target vitamin D levels and the role of vitamin D supplementation in COVID-19 since low vitamin D may predispose to SARS-CoV-2 infection and to worse COVID-19 outcomes. Finally, whereas oral daily cholecalciferol appears to be the preferred choice for vitamin D supplementation in the general population, and in most clinical conditions, active vitamin D analogs may be indicated in patients with hypoparathyroidism and severe kidney and liver insufficiency. Parenteral vitamin D administration could be helpful in malabsorption syndromes or in states of vitamin D resistance.Specific guidelines for desired levels of vitamin D should be tailored to the different conditions affecting vitamin D metabolism with the goal to define disease-specific normative values.
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MECHANISMS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY: Vitamin D and COVID-19.
Bilezikian, JP, Bikle, D, Hewison, M, Lazaretti-Castro, M, Formenti, AM, Gupta, A, Madhavan, MV, Nair, N, Babalyan, V, Hutchings, N, et al
European journal of endocrinology. 2020;(5):R133-R147
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The SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic has generated an explosion of interest both in the mechanisms of infection leading to dissemination and expression of this disease, and in potential risk factors that may have a mechanistic basis for disease propagation or control. Vitamin D has emerged as a factor that may be involved in these two areas. The focus of this article is to apply our current understanding of vitamin D as a facilitator of immunocompetence both with regard to innate and adaptive immunity and to consider how this may relate to COVID-19 disease. There are also intriguing potential links to vitamin D as a factor in the cytokine storm that portends some of the most serious consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection, such as the acute respiratory distress syndrome. Moreover, cardiac and coagulopathic features of COVID-19 disease deserve attention as they may also be related to vitamin D. Finally, we review the current clinical data associating vitamin D with SARS-CoV-2 infection, a putative clinical link that at this time must still be considered hypothetical.
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Multidisciplinary management of acromegaly: A consensus.
Giustina, A, Barkhoudarian, G, Beckers, A, Ben-Shlomo, A, Biermasz, N, Biller, B, Boguszewski, C, Bolanowski, M, Bollerslev, J, Bonert, V, et al
Reviews in endocrine & metabolic disorders. 2020;(4):667-678
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The 13th Acromegaly Consensus Conference was held in November 2019 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and comprised acromegaly experts including endocrinologists and neurosurgeons who considered optimal approaches for multidisciplinary acromegaly management. Focused discussions reviewed techniques, results, and side effects of surgery, radiotherapy, and medical therapy, and how advances in technology and novel techniques have changed the way these modalities are used alone or in combination. Effects of treatment on patient outcomes were considered, along with strategies for optimizing and personalizing therapeutic approaches. Expert consensus recommendations emphasize how best to implement available treatment options as part of a multidisciplinary approach at Pituitary Tumor Centers of Excellence.
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Pituitary Tumors Centers of Excellence.
Frara, S, Rodriguez-Carnero, G, Formenti, AM, Martinez-Olmos, MA, Giustina, A, Casanueva, FF
Endocrinology and metabolism clinics of North America. 2020;(3):553-564
Abstract
Pituitary tumors are common and require complex and sophisticated procedures for both diagnosis and therapy. To maintain the highest standards of quality, it is proposed to manage patients in pituitary tumors centers of excellence (PTCOEs) with patient-centric organizations, with expert clinical endocrinologists and neurosurgeons forming the core. That core needs to be supported by experts from different disciplines such as neuroradiology, neuropathology, radiation oncology, neuro-ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology, and trained nursing. To provide high-level medical care to patients with pituitary tumors, PTCOEs further pituitary science through research publication, presentation of results at meetings, and performing clinical trials.