This is a prospective observational pilot study for the evaluation of immune cells phenotype in acromegalic patients in comparison with a control population and to investigate the impact of disease control and different medical treatments (particularly Pegvisomant) on immune function and its implication on insulin resistance, metabolic complications and fat accumulation.
The observational study will concern the collection of data from patients who, as they are not controlled by SSAs therapy (cohort 1), require PEG therapy in monotherapy (group 1) or in combination with SSAs (group 2), according to common clinical practice. The investigators will enroll also acromegalic patients adequately controlled by medical therapy (cohort 2), respectively treated by any kind of SSAs (group 3) and by PEG (group 4) for comparison between different medical treatments. The data will be prospectively collected at baseline and after 8 weeks of treatment. A control group will be enrolled including healthy volunteers matched with patients for age and sex. The primary outcome will be the immune profiling by quantification of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) subpopulations. Secondary outcome measures will be * Evaluation of inflammatory cytokines and adipokines production. * Evaluation of glucose, insulin, c-peptide, HbA1c, triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol apolipoprotein B and A. Insulin resistance and β cell function will be assessed by the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index and for β cell secretion (HOMA-β). Anthropometric measurements will include body weight, height and waist and hip circumference. * Evaluation of body composition. Composite outcome measure consisting of lean mass, skeletal muscle and fat distribution analysis. * Fasting samples from all patients will be assayed for disease control parameters. * Evaluation of quality of life. Quality of life will be measured by Short Form (SF)-36-Item Health Survey total score, SF-36-Item Health Survey physical component summary score and SF-36-Item Health Survey mental component summary score and Acromegaly quality of life (AcroQol) questionnaire. * Evaluation of sleep disturbances. Sleep disturbances will be measured by Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and by polysomnography when appropriate.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
62
Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome
Rome, Italy
Peripheral blood mononuclear cell subpopulations
Number of cells (number per mm3) of peripheral blood mononuclear cell subpopulations
Time frame: baseline
Change of peripheral blood mononuclear cell subpopulations
Number of cells (number per mm3) of peripheral blood mononuclear cell subpopulations
Time frame: baseline and after 8 weeks
Tumor necrosis factor alfa (TNFα)
Chemiluminescence measurement of TNFα serum concentrations (pg/ml)
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β)
Chemiluminescence measurement of TGF-β serum concentrations (pg/ml)
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Interleukin-1 (IL-1)
Chemiluminescence measurement of IL-1 serum concentrations (pg/ml)
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Interleukin-6 (IL-6)
Chemiluminescence measurement of IL-6 serum concentrations (pg/ml)
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Interleukin-10 (IL-10)
Chemiluminescence measurement of IL-10 serum concentrations (pg/ml)
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Interferon gamma
Chemiluminescence measurement of interferon gamma serum concentrations (pg/ml)
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Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1)
Chemiluminescence measurement of MCP-1 (pg/ml)
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Adipokines production (visfatin)
Measurement of visfatin serum concentrations
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Adipokines production (adiponectin)
Measurement of adiponectin serum concentrations
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Adipokines production (vaspin)
Measurement of vaspin serum concentrations
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Adipokines production (omentin)
Measurement of omentin serum concentrations
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Metabolic parameters: glycemia
Evaluation of glucose (mmol/l)
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Insulin production
Evaluation of insulin (mU/L)
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Insulin secretion
Evaluation of c-peptide (ng/ml)
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Metabolic parameters: glycosylated haemoglobin
Evaluation of HbA1c (mmol/mol)
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Lipid profile: triglycerides
Evaluation of triglycerides (mmol/l)
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Lipid profile: cholesterol
Evaluation of total cholesterol (mmol/l)
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Lipid profile: HDL-cholesterol
Evaluation of HDL-cholesterol (mmol/l)
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Lipid profile: LDL-cholesterol
Evaluation of LDL-cholesterol (mmol/l)
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Lipid profile: Apo B
Evaluation of apolipoprotein B (mmol/l)
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Lipid profile: Apo A
Evaluation of apolipoprotein A (mmol/l)
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Insulin resistance
Evaluation of the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
beta cell function
Evaluation of the homeostasis model assessment for β cell secretion (HOMA-β)
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Body mass index (BMI)
Body weight and height weight will be combined to report BMI in kg/m\^2
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Anthropometric parameters
Waist and hip circumference will be combined to report waist-hip ratio
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Body composition: lean mass
Lean mass distribution (%) evaluated by a whole-body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Body composition: fat mass
Fat mass distribution (%) evaluated by a whole-body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Biochemical control
Fasting samples from all patients will be assayed for disease control parameters (insulin-growth factor and growth hormone)
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Quality of life SF-36-Item Health Survey questionnaire
Quality of life will be evaluated by the Physical Component score and the Mental Component score of the self administered questionnaire SF-36-Item Health Survey questionnaire. This questionnaire measures eight scales: physical functioning, role physical, bodily pain, general health (physical component) and vitality, social functioning, role emotional, mental health (mental component). Interpretation of the score will be the following: at each item of the questionnaire corresponds a percentage value (from 0% to 100%). The average of the single items constitutes the scale total percentage (from 0% to 100%); missing data are not considered during calculation. High score defines a more favorable health state
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Acromegaly Quality of Life Questionnaire
Evaluation of quality of life by the Acromegaly Quality of Life Questionnaire (ACROQOL), a disease specific questionnaire to measure quality of life in patients with acromegaly. It contains 22 items divided in two scales that measure physical and psychological aspects. Each of the 22 items of the AcroQoL is answered in a 1 to 5. A global score is obtained adding the results of the 22 items using a specific formula, from a minimum of 22 - worse QoL - until 110 - best QoL -
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks
Sleep apnea
Sleep disturbances will be measured by Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). The ESS consists of eight questions regarding eight activities. Each of the activities listed has an assigned score from 0 to 3 that indicates how likely a person is to fall asleep during the activity: 0 = would never doze, 1 = slight chance of dozing, 2 = moderate chance of dozing, 3 = high chance of dozing. The total score can range from 0 to 24. A higher score is associated with increased sleepiness.
Time frame: baseline and post 8 weeks