ABSTRACT
Prolactin (PRL), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), oestrone (E1), and oestradiol (E2) levels were determined in 204 women who were receiving hormone replacement therapy for their climacteric symptoms. The changes in these hormone levels and the endometrial morphology were studied in order to determine the effects of the replacement therapy. The women were divided into two groups: the first group of 120 women was treated with conjugated oestrogens administered cyclically, plus norethisterone acetate. The second group of 84 women received oral oestriol succinate, also administered cyclically but without additional progestogens. The oestrogen-progestogen therapy resulted in a disappearance of the climacteric symptoms and a significant decrease of FSH and LH levels. Oestriol therapy was less effective than the conjugated oestrogens as a replacement therapy. Oestriol therapy also resulted in a less remarkable decrease of gonadotrophin levels. There were no significant changes in prolactin levels in either group of women. The endometrial histology did not change significantly after either of the two hormone replacement therapies.
Subject(s)
Climacteric , Endometrium/pathology , Estrogens/therapeutic use , Gonadotropins, Pituitary/blood , Estradiol/blood , Estriol/analogs & derivatives , Estriol/therapeutic use , Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)/therapeutic use , Estrone/blood , Female , Follicle Stimulating Hormone/blood , Humans , Luteinizing Hormone/blood , Norethindrone/analogs & derivatives , Norethindrone/therapeutic use , Norethindrone Acetate , Prolactin/bloodABSTRACT
Recent advances in the quantitation of plasma or serum levels of cardiac glycosides promise to add a new dimension to pharmacologic studies and to the evaluation of clinical problems involving these drugs. A rapid radioimmunoassay technique has been described for the determination of serum digoxin and beta-metyldigoxin concentration in the range encountered clinically. Patients judged clinically to show digitals toxicity in general had higher levels. A relable estimate of serum digoxin and beta-metyldigoxin concentration, considered in the clinical context, has been found to be useful in arriving at acute management decisions.
