Characteristics of nasal epithelial cells in naturally postmenopausal women receiving hormone therapy with 1 mg 17beta-estradiol and 2 mg drospirenone: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of drospirenone on nasal respiratory epithelium in postmenopausal women who are treated with hormone therapy (HT). DESIGN: Thirty-five naturally postmenopausal women participated in the prospective study. Women received continuous-combined HT containing 1 mg 17beta-estradiol and 2 mg drospirenone. Cytological changes of nasal middle and inferior turbinate respiratory epithelium were evaluated by using the maturation index, performed at baseline and on the sixth cycle of HT. RESULTS: Hematoxylin-eosin staining for the maturation index of the epithelial nasal cells of women reached better trophic aspects during 17beta-estradiol/drospirenone intake with respect to those observed at baseline (P < 0.001). The smears during HT emphasized the superficial and the intermediate types of cells, with a ratio index greater than 2. The parabasal cell content was less than 20%, and the karyopyknotic index showed degenerative changes in superficial and intermediate cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirmed that the nasal respiratory epithelium is an ovarian steroid target. Drospirenone acts on nasal cells similarly to other progestogens.