Hormone therapy in Brazilian postmenopausal women with chronic hepatitis C: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate liver function and hemostatic parameters in postmenopausal women who have chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus and climacteric symptoms and are undergoing hormone therapy (HT) (standard dose of transdermal continuous combined hormone therapy).


METHODS
Fifty out of 336 postmenopausal patients with chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus were selected. The non-inclusion criteria were other chronic or systemic liver diseases, severe vascular diseases, autoimmune diseases or malignant tumors. The patients were randomized into two groups: the HT group with 25 patients to be given transdermal hormone therapy (50 microg estradiol plus 170 microg norethisterone/day) and the control group with the other 25 patients (no medication). Hepatic tests (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma glutamyltransferase, total alkaline phosphatase, albumin, serum bilirubin) and hemostatic parameters (prothrombin time, factor V, fibrinogen) were evaluated at baseline and at 1, 4, 7 and 9 months of treatment.


RESULTS
No significant changes in parameters were found in the comparison between the treated group and the controls, except for a decrease in total alkaline phosphatase (p = 0.002), presumably due to changes in bone remodelling.


CONCLUSIONS
There were no changes in liver function after a 9-month treatment with transdermal estradiol plus norethisterone in symptomatic postmenopausal patients with hepatitis C.
Padua
M A F
MA
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Fonseca
A M
AM
Deguti
M M
MM
Bagnoli
V R
VR
Farias
A Q
AQ
Maciel
G A R
GA
Soares
J M
JM
Carilho
F J
FJ
Baracat
E C
EC
D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D001938:Brazil; D002979:Climacteric / Q000187:drug effects; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000201:enzymology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000378:metabolism; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism
D012709:Serum Albumin; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase