[Changes in maturation index and vaginal dryness in postmenopausal women who use or not calcitriol]. / Índice de maduración y sequedad vaginal en la posmenopausia con uso de calcio o calcitriol.

BACKGROUND: it is known that vitamin D increases the population of superficial cells, so the objective of the present work was to evaluate the effect in Mexican postmenopausal women who were using or not oral calcitriol. METHODS: postmenopausal women with vaginal dryness that received at random: calcium 500 mg orally every 24 h or calcitriol 0.25 µg every 24 h during two months. At the beginning of treatment and at two months a vaginal Pap smear was performed. The maturation index was determined and the estrogenic value was calculated. Vaginal dryness was evaluated using an analog visual scales and vaginal by the moistening of a pH test strip. Student's t test was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: 23 postmenopausal women were studied and divided as follows: group I (calcium) = 11 women and group II (calcitriol) = 12 women. In the analyzed parameters only the average of superficial cells was significantly greater at the end of treatment in the calcitriol group. CONCLUSION: calcitriol use increased the average of superficial cells in vaginal cytology, but didn't modify vaginal dryness.

[Modification of C3 and C4 levels after the administration of conjugated estrogens plus medroxiprogesterone or raloxifene in postmenopausal women]. / Modificación de las concentraciones de C3 y C4 luego de la administración de estrógenos conjugados más medroxiprogesterona o raloxifeno en mujeres posmenopáusicas.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and raloxifene on serum levels of complement C3 and C4 fractions in postmenopausal women. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Twenty healthy postmenopausal women were studied. In all weight, height and body mass index (BMI) were documented. FSH and estradiol levels were measured. They were randomly divided into two groups, according to the treatment they received: group I, CEE 0.625 mg/day plus MPA 2.5 mg/day (n = 7); group II, raloxifene 60 mg/day (n = 13), both treatments were continuous. Serum levels of C3 and C4 complement fractions were measured by immunonephelometry at baseline and six months after start of treatment. Differences among groups of baseline and final C3 and C4 levels were measured with Student's t test for independent and paired samples, respectively. RESULTS: There were no differences among groups in age, weight, height and body mass index, neither in C3 and C4 levels among baseline and final levels when comparing each group separately. CONCLUSIONS: Complement may not intervene significantly in the atherosclerotic inflammatory process in women receiving CEE plus MPA or raloxifene.

Mood modifications with raloxifene and continuous combined estrogen plus progestin hormone therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the differences in effect between raloxifene and continuous combined estrogen plus progestin therapy on Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) score. METHODS: Fifteen post-menopausal patients who had not received, and were not receiving, hormone therapy were studied. They were divided into two groups according to the therapy they received, as follows: group I, conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) 0.625 mg/day plus medroxyprogesterone 2.5 mg/day (n = 6), group II, raloxifene 60 mg/day (n = 9). The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale was used at baseline and after 6 months of treatment for mood assessment. Student's t test for independent samples was used for comparison among the groups; Student's t test for paired samples was used to assess differences between baseline and final Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores. RESULTS: No differences were found in age or in anthropometric variables, in final Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score between the groups. In analyzing each group independently, no significant difference was found between baseline and final scores in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale in group I, while in group II a significant decrease was found. CONCLUSIONS: Raloxifene induces a greater decrease in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, which indicates an amelioration of depressive mood during the climacteric.

Differences in vaginal dryness according to hormone therapy schedule using pH test strip in two groups of postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVE: To compare vaginal dryness in two groups of postmenopausal women according to hormone replacement therapy schedule using pH test strip. METHODS: Twenty-two healthy postmenopausal women were divided into two groups according to the treatment they received: Group I, conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) 0.625 mg/day (n = 15); Group II, CEE 0.625 mg/day plus medroxyprogesterone 2.5 mg/day (n = 7). Vaginal dryness intensity was analyzed using an analog visual scale and vaginal humidity by measuring the moistening, in millimeters, of a pH test strip. Both were evaluated at baseline and 3 months after the beginning of treatment. The comparison among groups and between baseline and final results was done with Student's t test for paired and independent samples, respectively. RESULTS: No differences were found in age and in anthropometric variables among the groups. In both groups, vaginal dryness intensity significantly decreased and the pH test strip moistening significantly increased, but the magnitude of the moistening was greater in the group with medroxyprogesterone. CONCLUSIONS: When medroxyprogesterone was added to estrogen therapy, a greater vaginal moistening of pH test strip was observed than when estrogen was used alone.

Vaginal dryness assessment in postmenopausal women using pH test strip.

OBJECTIVE: To objectively analyze vaginal dryness in postmenopausal women. METHODS: Forty healthy postmenopausal women, were divided in three groups according to the treatment they received. Group I, conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) 0.625 mg/day (n=20), group II, CEE 0.625 mg/day plus chlormadinone 1 mg/day (n=13), and group III, CEE 0.625 mg/day plus medroxyprogesterone 2.5 mg/day (n=7). Vaginal dryness intensity was analyzed using an analog visual scale, and vaginal humidity measuring the moistening in mm of a pH test strip. Both were evaluated at baseline and 3 months after the beginning of treatment. The comparison among groups and between the baseline and final results was done with Student's t-test for paired and independent samples, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis was carried out between final vaginal dryness intensity and the final moistening of the pH test strip. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were found in age neither in somatometric variables among the groups. In the three groups, vaginal dryness intensity significantly decreased and the pH test strip moistening significantly increased. A significant negative correlation was only found in group II (-0.690 P<0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Vaginal dryness evaluation assessing the pH test strip moistening is an objective method to evaluate this symptom in postmenopausal women, and the results are independent of the hormone replacement therapy schedule.