title: Evolution of plasma levels of apolipoprotein B, cholesterol and triglycerides in women during long-term oral contraception.
abstract: Apolipoprotein B (apo B) was measured by a sensitive and specific double antibody radioimmunoassay in plasma from 15 normal women and 47 women taking oral contraceptives. The plasma apo B concentration in normal women was 0.90 +/- 0.10 g/l (mean +/- S.D.) whereas the overall value for all women taking contraceptives was 0.69 +/- 0.19 g/l. The maximum decrease (p less than 0.001) occurred in women investigated within three months after the beginning of the steroid intake, whose mean apo B value was 0.60 +/- 0.12 g/l (n = 12); decreases found after 3--24 months of contraception were of lesser magnitude. Apo B decreases were associated with significant decreases (p less than 0.01) in total plasma cholesterol, although the latter regained normal values after one year of contraception. Apo B and cholesterol values were in the normal range in women investigated after two years of steroid intake. An inverse trend was observed for plasma triglycerides, which showed a mean increase of 29% (p less than 0.01) after three months of steroid intake, and then stayed elevated without significant change with time.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001053:Apolipoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004285:Dogs; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D013997:Time Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D001053:Apolipoproteins; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D002784:Cholesterol