LP(A) LEVELS AND ANTIESTROGEN ANTIBODIES IN WOMEN WITH AND WITHOUT THROMBOSIS IN THE COURSE OF ORAL CONTRACEPTION

Several reports have shown that lipoprotein(a) is associated with isch emic diseases. Two characteristics might explain this association. Fir stly, Lp(a) is an LDL-like lipoprotein which may be implicated in the atherosclerotic process and secondly, Lp(a) possesses an additional ap olipoprotein(a) whose structure is close to that of plasminogen and mi ght confer to the molecule prothrombotic properties. It seemed of inte rest to see whether Lp(a) was a risk factor in oral contraceptive user s with thrombotic complications, a group of young women with presumabl y little or no atherosclerosis. Three groups of women were compared: 2 5 of them served as controls and did not use oral contraceptives (OC) (group 1); 25 women were healthy current users of OC (group 2); 35 wom en suffered thrombotic complications in the course of OC (group 3). Me an levels of Lp(a), estimated by RID, were not found to be significant ly different in the 3 groups: 19 +/- 18, 20 +/- 23 and 16 +/- 22 mg/dl , respectively. Levels above 30 mg/dl were similarly distributed. Amon g the other risk factors studied, antiestrogen antibodies were absent in group 1, present in 24% of group 2 and 71.4% of group 3 (P < 0.01). Serum cholesterol levels were similar in the 3 groups: 209 +/- 33, 22 0 +/- 41, 213 +/- 45 mg/dl respectively. Mean serum triglyceride level s were higher in group 2 than in group 1 (61 +/- 18 and 83 +/- 32, P < 0.01), and higher in group 3 than in group 2 (116 +/- 66 and 83 +/- 3 2, P < 0.05). Smoking was more frequently observed in the groups of th rombotic complications (62.8%) than in healthy OC users (20%, P < 0.05 ). It is concluded that, while antiestrogen antibodies, smoking and in creased triglyceride levels are associated factors in the thrombotic c omplications of OC, Lp(a) does not appear to be a risk factor in OC us ers without atherosclerosis.