The Italian strategy to fight illegal treatment with growth promoters: Results of the 2017-2019 histological monitoring plan

Abstract

The Histological Control Plan has been introduced in Italy in 2008 as an indirect monitoring tool of illicit administration of sexual hormones and corticosteroids in bovine. Analysis of 2008-2016 results permitted to draw a new plan targeting risk category. This work presents the results of the histopathological monitoring plan that was carried out from 2017 to 2019. The overall prevalence of samples suspected of treatment with corticosteroid was 11.3% [95% confidence interval (CI) 6.6-17.8] in 2017; 10.2% (95% CI 6.6-16.9) in 2018 and 8.9% (95% CI 4.6-15.4) in 2019. The overall prevalence of samples suspected of treatment with sexual hormones was 2.3 % (95% CI 0.5-6.6) in 2017; 6.2% (95% CI 2.7-11.8) in 2018 and 12.4% (95% CI 7.4- 19.1) in 2019. Although not targeting and measuring specific molecules, this strategy allows to verify the trend of illicit treatments and identify farms to be submitted to further check.

Assessment of the Physiological Values and the Reference Histological Profile Related to Sex Steroids in Veal Calves

“…Based on the above evidence, none of the animals could have been s classified as suspect positive based on the screening procedure for sex hormones adopted for the Italian Histological Plan [10], thus showing its reliability.…”

“…The second aim was to describe the normal histological patterns of sex hormones' target organs in males and in females. Male sex target organs were further analysed in order to update the histological profile adopted as "normal" in the Italian histological plan to monitor illicit hormonal treatment [10].…”

Transcriptional Biomarkers and Immunohistochemistry for Detection of Illicit Dexamethasone Administration in Veal Calves

“…The present study confirmed that a gene expression analysis can be successfully applied on FFPE muscle samples, and that it can, in the future, be used to update the current Italian histological NRCP, to contrast both the illicit administration of unauthorised drugs (sex steroids, Beta-Agonists, etc.) and misuse of authorised drugs such as corticosteroids [ 4 ]. The multivariate approach revealed, once again, the possibility to set up complementary screening strategies similarly to what has already been developed for other food commodities [ 8 ], to obtain more biological information for sample classification in comparison to the common univariate approach and to promote the reliable profiling of transcriptional biomarkers when characterised by “challenging to quantify” low expression levels.…”

“…In Italy, in 2008, the Italian Ministry of Health introduced the histological plan as a complementary strategy for the control of growth-promoting molecules misuse. The objective of this monitoring activity was to verify whether the samples from the slaughterhouses exceeded a predefined prevalence threshold level for illicit treatment with corticosteroids at the national level [ 4 , 5 ].…”

RNAseq Analysis of Livers from Pigs Treated with Testosterone and Nandrolone Esters: Selection and Field Validation of Transcriptional Biomarkers

“…It is therefore difficult to distinguish between natural endogenous steroids, for which detectable physiological levels could be expected in analyzed samples, and residues of exogenous steroids resulting from illicit administration [12,13]. All these aspects often require additional investigations by inspection services for a reliable interpretation of lab results and, in many cases, it is not possible to discriminate between treated and untreated animals based on just the presence/concentration of these substances [14].…”