COMPARING EFFICACY OF TWO DIFFERENT HORMONAL THERAPY REGIMEN ON ACTIVITY OF COAGULATION FACTORS VII, VIII, IX AND SERUM LIPIDS IN MENOPAUSED WOMEN

During extrinsic coagulation pathway, a complex is developed between factor VII, calcium and tissue factor (a cell membrane lipoprotein that is exposed after cell injury). Factor VII needs calcium and vitamin K for its biologic activation. Coronary artery disease can be induced by increased level and activity of the coagulation factors VII, VIII and IX. In postmenopausal period, estrogen can decrease blood lipids and thereby decreases risk of coronary artery disease. However, the exact effects of the estrogen on the other predisposing factors of the coronary artery diseases are unknown. Our objective in this study was to evaluate the effects of oral hormone therapy regimen on fibrinogen and other coagulation factors. 60 menopause women with history of hysterectomy were randomly allocated in 2 groups. One group was treated with conjugated estrogen 0.625mg/day and the other group was treated with conjugated estrogen 0.625mg/day and medroxy progesterone 2.5mg/day. Serum fibrinogen level and activity of coagulation factors VII, VIII and IX and blood lipids level were checked before and 3 months after treatment. In the estrogen alone treated group, mean of factor VII activity showed significant elevation 3 months after treatment as compared with prior to hormone therapy(p<0.05). There were no significant changes in means of coagulation factors VIII, IX activities and serum fibrinogen level in estrogen  medroxy progesterone treated patients before and after treatment (p>0.05). In both groups, honi1one therapy significantly decreased serum cholesterol level and LDL-C and increased HDL-C (p>0.00) but the serum triglyceride level was increased in the estrogen alone treated group. Significant elevation of coagulation factors VII with significant elevation of serum triglyceride in estrogen treated patients is explainable. This study confirms that hormone therapy with this protocol does not change serum fibrinogen mean and activity of coagulation factor VIII and IX. This finding may be real or may be related to inadequacy of samples regarding the wide normal range of coagulation factors and serum fibrinogen. Studies with more prolonged follow-up or more samples are suggested.