Neutral effect of prolonged transdermal hormone therapy on liver function of postmenopausal women with chronic active hepatitis.
OBJECTIVE
To test whether transdermal hormone therapy can be safely administered to postmenopausal women with chronic viral hepatitis B and/or C.


METHODS
Eighty-one postmenopausal women with chronic viral hepatitis B and/or C and with severe vasomotor symptoms were treated for 5 years with transdermal estradiol (50 microg/day) continuously and with transdermal norethisterone (250 microg/day) for 14 days of every 28-day cycle. Another 95 women with viral chronic hepatitis but without climacteric symptoms were used as controls. Liver enzymes (glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, gamma-glutamine-transferase, and alkaline phosphatase) were measured every year.


RESULTS
At baseline, liver enzymes were similar in the two groups, with the exception of gamma-GT, which was slightly higher in untreated women (P < 0.01). Liver enzymes did not significantly vary with time in hormone-treated and untreated women. No significant difference was observed between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Transdermal estradiol and norethisterone can be safely administered for a prolonged period to postmenopausal women with chronic viral B and/or C hepatitis.
Rinaldi
Maurizio
M
Department of Gynecology Obstetrics and Neonatology, Universities of Parma, Italy.
Cagnacci
Angelo
A
Pansini
Francesco E
FE
de Aloysio
Domenico
D
Sgarabotto
Maria Paola
MP
Bacchi-Modena
Alberto
A
D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D003280:Contraceptives, Oral, Synthetic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018450:Disease Progression; D004958:Estradiol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000201:enzymology*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000201:enzymology*; D006529:Hepatomegaly / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009640:Norethindrone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017698:Postmenopause; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism
D003280:Contraceptives, Oral, Synthetic; D004958:Estradiol; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D009640:Norethindrone