title: Endocrine responses to long-term administration of the antiprogesterone RU486 in patients with pelvic endometriosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine endocrine and clinical responses to long-term administration of RU486 in patients with endometriosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective open trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Faculty practice of the authors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six normally cycling women with endometriosis were recruited.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects received RU486 100 mg/d for 3 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hormonal changes during RU486 were compared with control data obtained in the preceding cycle during the early follicular phase. Clinical responses were determined by patient assessment and second-look laparoscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All women became amenorrheic, and daily urinary levels of ovarian steroid metabolites remained acyclic. Mean luteinizing hormone (LH) (P less than 0.02) and LH pulse amplitude (P less than 0.05) were increased without changes in LH pulse frequency. An antiglucocorticoid effect was demonstrated by an increase in serum cortisol (P less than 0.01) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (P less than 0.05) levels. Treatment resulted in an improvement in pelvic pain in all subjects without significant change in the extent of disease as evaluated by follow-up laparoscopy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Daily administration of RU486 results in acyclic ovarian function and improvement in the subjective painful symptoms of endometriosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Medicine, University of California-San Diego Medical Center 92103.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Kettel
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Mortola
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ulmann
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Yen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000568:Amenorrhea / Q000139:chemically induced; D004702:Endocrine Glands / Q000187:drug effects*; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D010535:Laparoscopy; D015735:Mifepristone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010166:Palliative Care; D010386:Pelvic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011374:Progesterone / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D015735:Mifepristone; D011374:Progesterone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone