Transdermal oestrogen therapy protects postmenopausal liver transplant women from osteoporosis. A 2-year follow-up study.
OBJECTIVE
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) prevents osteoporosis in postmenopausal women by inhibiting bone resorption, but the benefits of oestrogen therapy in liver transplant patients have not been studied.


METHODS
The effect of transdermal HRT was studied in 33 postmenopausal liver transplant women. The main outcome measure was the change in bone mineral density (BMD) which was measured annually for 2 years. The effect on bone turnover was studied by assessment of the serum aminoterminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PINP).


RESULTS
The mean lumbar BMD increased from 0.816 at baseline to 0.858 and to 0.878 g/cm2 (P < 0.001) after 1 and 2 years of therapy, respectively. The BMD of the femoral neck increased from 0.665 to 0.690 g/cm2 (P < 0.006). During the first and second years, the mean BMD of the lumbar spine increased by 5.3 and 1.2%, while that of the femoral neck increased by 3.3 and 1.2%. After 2 years of HRT, only one-fifth of the patients had osteoporosis, whereas over half of the women had osteoporosis at baseline. The median serum PINP decreased by 47% at 1 year and remained decreased at 2 years compared with baseline levels.


CONCLUSIONS
Transdermal HRT decreased the turnover rate of mineralized bone matrix. Transplant women responded with increased BMD, just like healthy postmenopausal women.
Isoniemi
H
H
Department of Surgery, Helsinki University, Finland. helena.isoniemi@hus.fi
Appelberg
J
J
Nilsson
C G
CG
Mäkelä
P
P
Risteli
J
J
Höckerstedt
K
K
D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects; D016723:Bone Remodeling / Q000187:drug effects; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood; D011347:Procollagen / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies
D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011347:Procollagen; C047202:procollagen Type I N-terminal peptide