Cytologic aspects of the nasal respiratory epithelium in postmenopausal women treated with hormone therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of hormone therapy (HT) on nasal respiratory epithelium in postmenopausal women. DESIGN: Prospective open clinical trial. SETTING: Outpatient menopausal clinic. PATIENT(S): One hundred three healthy postmenopausal women, of whom 55 treated with HT, and 48 untreated women (controls). INTERVENTION(S): Different regimens of HT by patch, gel, or oral administration. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Cytologic changes of nasal, middle and inferior turbinate cells compared with vaginal cytologic findings by using the maturation index. RESULT(S): Hematoxylin-eosin staining for the maturation index confirmed similar trophic cytologic aspects between the nasal respiratory epithelium and vaginal smears in HT-treated women and controls. Women treated with sequential HT or estrogen therapy (ET) showed better trophic characteristics in the nasal cytological samples compared with women treated with continuous combined HT. CONCLUSION(S): Along with vaginal cells the nasal respiratory epithelium is an estrogen target. The activity of HT in the nasal respiratory epithelium may depend on the type of hormone regimen used.

Role of DEXA and ultrasonometry in the evaluation of osteoporotic risk in postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The aim of this study was to compare the role of quantitative ultrasonography (QUS) and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) in the assessment of osteoporosis. METHODS: From June 1999 to November 2001, 596 women who have not been diagnosed osteoporosis and without previous history of pathologic fractures were enrolled in this study. They had a mean age of 58.7+/-8.5 years, a mean height of 166+/-3.5 cm and a mean weight of 66+/-4.1 kg. According to the age, women were divided into three groups: group A included women between 45 and 55 years; group B women between 56 and 66 years and group C women between 67 and 77 years. Each patient underwent to both methods to determine the presence of osteoporosis. RESULTS: QUS resulted in a greater number of women of group A at risk of osteoporosis, whereas DEXA indicated that more women of group C were at increased osteoporotic risk. QUS and DEXA gave concordant results only in women of group B. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that QUS screening for osteoporosis may be more suitable for 'younger' postmenopausal women.