title: Effects of transdermal and oral hormone replacement therapies on monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 levels: a randomized clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effects of oral and transdermal hormone replacement therapies (HRT) on levels of important cardiovascular disease (CVD) markers, MCP-1 and homocyteine, in the early postmenopausal period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-six healthy, early postmenopausal women were enrolled in the study. Patients were randomly assigned to receive oral or transdermal HRT for 6 months. The first group received continuous combined oral HRT containing 1mg 17β-estradiol and 0.5mg norethisterone acetate (n=39), and the second group received sequential transdermal HRT releasing 50μg/day estradiol alone given twice a week on days 1-14 and 50μg/day estradiol plus 0.25mg/day norethisterone acetate given twice a week on days 15-28 (n=37). Circulating levels of MCP-1 and homocysteine, along with other CVD markers, were assessed before and after treatment in all patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences between the baseline characteristics of the two groups. Baseline serum MCP-1 levels were similar between the oral and transdermal HRT groups (150.1±12.8 vs. 145.2±11.6pg/ml; P=.219). The mean MCP-1 levels did not change after 6 months of HRT in both oral (150.1±12.8 vs. 153.6±12.5pg/ml; P=.192) and transdermal HRT groups (145.2±11.6 vs. 146.1±15.1pg/ml; P=.419). Moreover, there was no significant difference between the groups in MCP-1 serum levels after 6 months of HRT. Similarly, no difference was found in serum homocyteine levels following 6 months of HRT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both oral continuous and sequential transdermal HRTs do not have significant effects on serum MCP-1 and homocyteine levels in women during the early postmenopausal period.
authors.affiliation: Ankara University School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tolga
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taşçı
authors.affiliation: Ankara University School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yavuz Emre
authors.initials: YE
authors.lastname: Şükür
authors.affiliation: Ankara University School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Batuhan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Özmen
authors.affiliation: Ankara University School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cem Somer
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Atabekoğlu
authors.affiliation: Ankara University School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sevim Dinçer
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Cengiz
authors.affiliation: Ankara University School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Evren
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Koçbulut
authors.affiliation: Ankara University School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bülent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Berker
authors.affiliation: Ankara University School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ankara, Turkey. Electronic address: msonmezer@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sönmezer
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000284:Administration, Oral; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000097:blood*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004958:Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009640:Norethindrone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017698:Postmenopause
chemical_list: D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D004338:Drug Combinations; C418365:estradiol, norethindrone drug combination; D006710:Homocysteine; D004958:Estradiol; D009640:Norethindrone
keywords: Homocysteine; Hormone replacement therapy; Lipid profile; Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1; Transdermal