Endocrine changes in postmenopausal women after high-dose danazol therapy.

BACKGROUND: Purpose of the study was to investigate changes in the hormonal pattern in postmenopausal women after high dose danazol therapy. In 16 postmenopausal women (mean age 66.4 +/- 8.6) treated with danazol 1.2 g/die x21 we studied serum levels, before and after therapy, of FSH, LH, E2, fE2, T, fT, D4-A, DHEAS, SHBG. METHODS: FSH, LH, SHBG by IRMA kits (DPC); E2, T, DHEAS, D4-A by RIA kits (Sorin Biomedica) after celite microcolumn chromatography; fT by coat-A-count kit (DPC); fE2 by equilibrium dialysis; serum albumin by bromocresol-green colorimetric methods. RESULTS: After therapy there was a statistically significant decrease of LH by 13%, of FSH by 19%, SHBG by 84% and increase of fE2 by 24.5%, fT by 77%. Other hormones show changes that are not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: In postmenopausal women danozol therapy, even if at a higher dose, has about same effect on hormonal pattern as in normally cycling women. Danazol showed a clear antigonadotropic effect and can play a role in therapy when reduction of gonadotrophins and E2 secretion is desirable.