[Sex hormones and the hypophyseo-gonadal axis in females with liver cirrhosis in postmenopause].

The hormonal status of men with cirrhosis of the liver has been investigated in numerous studies. Little, however, is known about changes of sexual hormones in women afflicted by this disorder. In a study of 31 postmenopausal women (mean age 63 +/- 8 years) suffering from cirrhosis of various etiology (alcoholic, n = 8; posthepatitic B, n = 1; PBC, n = 5; cryptogenetic, n = 17) the blood levels of estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), androstenedione (A), testosterone (T) and basal and stimulated values of gonadotropins are reported and compared with the data obtained in an age-matched control group (n = 9). In cirrhosis a significant increase of the median E2 (28 vs 12 pg/ml, P less than 0.01) was found, whereas the changes of the blood levels of E1 (88 vs 76 pg/ml), A (63 vs 111 ng/dl), and T (0.30 vs 0.15 ng/ml) did not attain statistical significance in comparison to controls. Within the study group, however, a significant positive correlation with the degree of decompensation of cirrhosis (Childscore A-C) was observed for the steroid hormones measured. Thus, in subgroup C the hormone levels are higher than physiologically expected for postmenopausal women. On the other hand the median FSH (32 vs 48 mU/ml, P less than 0.05) is significantly lower in cirrhosis compared to controls with a trend to decreased values of LH. Very low levels of LH and FSH are found in decompensated cirrhosis. The decrease of LH and FSH can partly be explained by the rise of peripheral hormones (i.e. E2, E1, and in some cases T and A).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)