Effect of oral hormone replacement therapy on plasma homocysteine levels.
BACKGROUND
Various inherited or acquired conditions can lead to mild or severe hyperhomocysteinemia, which has toxic effects on the vascular endothelium. It has been reported that hormone replacement therapy is associated with decreased homocysteine plasma levels, but this is still a controversial issue.


OBJECTIVE
To compare homocysteine plasma levels in women before and after 3 months of oral hormone replacement therapy.


METHODS
Twenty-four women were selected to take part in the study. Blood samples were collected immediately before hormone replacement therapy (cyclic association of 2 mg of estradiol valerate and 1 mg of cyproterone acetate) and three months after the beginning of hormone replacement therapy. Samples collected before hormone replacement therapy were used as controls. Plasma homocysteine levels and the presence of C677T mutation in the methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase gene were evaluated in all participants.


RESULTS
The methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase gene mutation was detected in 8 women (33.3%) in heterozygosis, in 3 (12.5%) in homozygosis, and 13 women (54.2%) did not present the mutation. No significant differences were observed in homocysteine levels before and after three months of oral hormone replacement therapy, regardless of the C677T genotype.


CONCLUSIONS
The results obtained indicate that homocysteine plasma levels are not affected after three months of oral hormone replacement therapy.
Guimarães
Daniela Amorim Melgaço
DA
Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais,Brazil.
Cardoso
Jarbas
J
Dusse
Luci Maria Sant'ana
LM
Franco
Romerson Martins
RM
Franco
Hilton de A
Hde A
Alvim
Túlio César
TC
Teixeira
George da Silva
Gda S
Carvalho
Maria das Graças
Md
Fernandes
Ana Paula
AP
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D017373:Cyproterone Acetate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004958:Estradiol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D004966:Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D020138:Hyperhomocysteinemia / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation
D004966:Estrogens, Conjugated (USP); D006710:Homocysteine; D017373:Cyproterone Acetate; D004958:Estradiol; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)