Transdermal oestrogen therapy protects postmenopausal liver transplant women from osteoporosis. A 2-year follow-up study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) prevents osteoporosis in postmenopausal women by inhibiting bone resorption, but the benefits of oestrogen therapy in liver transplant patients have not been studied.

METHODS: The effect of transdermal HRT was studied in 33 postmenopausal liver transplant women. The main outcome measure was the change in bone mineral density (BMD) which was measured annually for 2 years. The effect on bone turnover was studied by assessment of the serum aminoterminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PINP).

RESULTS: The mean lumbar BMD increased from 0.816 at baseline to 0.858 and to 0.878 g/cm2 (P < 0.001) after 1 and 2 years of therapy, respectively. The BMD of the femoral neck increased from 0.665 to 0.690 g/cm2 (P < 0.006). During the first and second years, the mean BMD of the lumbar spine increased by 5.3 and 1.2%, while that of the femoral neck increased by 3.3 and 1.2%. After 2 years of HRT, only one-fifth of the patients had osteoporosis, whereas over half of the women had osteoporosis at baseline. The median serum PINP decreased by 47% at 1 year and remained decreased at 2 years compared with baseline levels.

CONCLUSION: Transdermal HRT decreased the turnover rate of mineralized bone matrix. Transplant women responded with increased BMD, just like healthy postmenopausal women.