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Karine Lacut, Emmanuel Oger, Grgoire Le Gal, Marie-Thrse Blouch, Jean-Franois Abgrall, Vronique Kerlan, Pierre-Yves Scarabin, Dominique Mottier
Differential effects of oral and transdermal postmenopausal estrogen replacement therapies on C-reactive protein
C-reactive protein (CRP) is one of the main independent predictors of cardiovascular events. Oral post-menopausal estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) increases CRP levels, but the effect of transdermal ERT is not well documented. CRP, interleukine-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) levels were evaluated in a randomised study of 196 healthy postmenopausal women, who were allocated to receive continuous oral estradiol-1, (n=63) or transdermal estradiol-1, (n=68) both combined with micronised progesterone, or place-bo (n=65). Oral estrogen increased CRP levels compared with both placebo (p=0.010) and transdermal estrogen (p=0.004) at 6 months. There was no significant effect of transdermal estrogen on CRP levels compared with placebo (p=0.997). No significant difference was found in the median changes for IL-6 and TNF- between the three treatment groups. In conclusion, transdermal estrogen has no significant effect on CRP levels at 6 months, but CRP concentrations increased significantly with oral estrogen although no changes in cytokine levels were detected. The clinical relevance of these effects remains to be determined.
Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Schattauer
Print ISSN: 0340-6245
Volume: 90, 07/2003
Pages: 124 - 131