Assessment of hypercoagulability markers and lipid levels in postmenopausal women undergoing either oral or transdermal hormone replacement therapy.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the effect of either oral or transdermal hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on haemostatic, fibrinolytic and lipid profiles in a group of Brazilian women 3 months after beginning treatment by comparing these results with those obtained immediately before HRT. METHODS: Plasma levels of TAT, DDi, F1+2, PC, PS, AT, PAI-1 and serum lipids were determined in blood samples collected from 24 women undergoing oral HRT and from 11 women undergoing transdermal HRT. RESULTS: Significant increases in DDi and F1+2 plasma levels were observed after 3 months of oral HRT, while PS levels decreased. After transdermal HRT, a significant decrease was observed only for AT levels. CONCLUSION: After 3 months of oral HRT and in the absence of major genetic and acquired risk factors, women displayed a predisposition for activation of blood coagulation, and an increased activity of the fibrinolytic system. Oral HRT seemed to be more effective in predisposing haemostatic changes as compared to transdermal.

Hypercoagulability markers in patients with peripheral arterial disease: association to ankle-brachial index.

Peripheral arterial disease is diagnosed by measuring the ankle-brachial index. Values lower than 0.90 define the disease being usually related to its severity. Patients with peripheral arterial disease may show a hypercoagulability state. The aim of this study was to assess hemostatic variables and to correlate them with the presence of peripheral arterial disease and its severity as assessed by ankle-brachial index values. Plasma levels of D dimer, plasminogen, prothrombin fragment 1+2, plasminogen activator inhibitor and thrombomodulin were measured in 36 patients with peripheral arterial disease (group 1) and 30 without disease (group 2). Significant differences for D dimer, plasminogen, prothrombin fragment 1+2 and plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 between the 2 groups were found (P<0.05). Significant and inverse correlations were also observed (Pearson correlation, P<0.05) between ankle-brachial index values and levels of both plasminogen and plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1. Although there was no significant correlation between ankle-brachial index and levels of D dimer, higher D dimer values were observed in patients with lower ankle-brachial index values. The results confirm a trend to hypercoagulability and hypofibrinolysis in patients with peripheral arterial disease. Increased levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 seem to be associated with the severity of the disease, considering the inverse correlation between this inhibitor and ankle-brachial index.

ApoB/ApoA-I ratio in young patients with ischemic cerebral stroke or peripheral arterial disease.

Although smoking and hypertension are classic risk factors for atherothrombotic diseases, the relationship of dyslipidemia and vascular diseases, other than myocardial infarction, is less clearly established, especially in young subjects. In the current study, a detailed analysis of the lipid and apolipoprotein profiles was conducted in young patients of ischemic cerebral stroke (IS) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Plasma levels of C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc), triglycerides (TG), and apolipoproteins A-I (ApoA-I) and apolipoproteins B (ApoB), which include the ApoB/ApoA-I ratio, were analyzed in a group of 81 patients who presented with IS (n = 46) or PAD (n = 35) as well as in 167 control subjects. Significant differences were observed for hs-CRP, TC, HDLc, LDLc, TG, ApoA-I, and ApoB levels, as well as for the ApoB/ApoA-I ratio, between the control and the IS or PAD groups. However, after adjustment for sex, age, smoking, hypertension, hs-CRP, and dyslipidemia (LDLc, TC, HDLc, TG, ApoA, ApoB, and ApoB/ApoA-I ratio), hs-CRP, ApoB, and the ApoB/ApoA-I ratio were independently associated with increased risks of IS or PAD. Increased ApoB/ApoA-I ratio and hs-CRP levels are independently associated with occurrence of IS and PAD in young patients and are significant markers of alterations on lipid and apolipoproteic profiles and inflammatory responses, respectively, in these patients.