The effect of short-term estradiol therapy on clotting and inflammatory markers in older men receiving hormonal suppression therapy for prostate cancer

Figures & data

Figure 1. The figure represents the time-line for the study. Men in the NEO group were screened and then randomized (E₂ versus PL) 3 weeks after their initial LHRH-A injection (baseline), and men in the EST group were randomized 3 weeks after initial screening.

Table I.  Baseline characteristics of study subjects.

Characteristic	E2 group	Placebo
N	12	13
Age (years)	71 ± 2	71 ± 2
BMI (kg/m^2)	27.8 ± 1.2	27.7 ± 1.3
PSA (ng/ml)	7.4 ± 2.8	7.1 ± 2.8
Nl: (X–4.0)
Testosterone (nmol/L)	4.7 ± 2.7	6.8 ± 2.3
(Nl: 10.4–34.7)
Estradiol (pmol/L)	21.1 ± 3.1	27.0 ± 6.3
(Nl: 37–220)
SHBG (nmol/L)	300 + 51	229 + 51
(Nl: 9–111)

Values are means ± standard error (SE).

Table II.  Changes in clotting factors and inflammatory markers at baseline and after 9 weeks of E₂ treatment.

		Baseline		Post-Rx
Marker	Normal values	E2	Placebo	E2	Placebo	P value
Fibrinogen (mg/dl)	150–400	345 ± 68	348 ± 104	354 ± 66	400 ± 115	0.047^a
PAI-1 (IU/ml)	0.0–22.0	11.3 ± 12.2	6.7 ± 9.6	12.1 ± 10.4	11.1 ± 10.4	NS
AT-III	84–124%	98.7 ± 12.3	101.7 ± 17.9	96.5 ± 12.5	107.7 ± 16.9	0.023^b
hsCRP (mg/L)	0.068–8.2	2.1 ± 1.9	2.9 ± 3.6	1.7 ± 1.9	3.9 ± 4.5	NS
HC (umol/L)	4.0–12.0	10.1 ± 2.6	10.8 ± 3.1	10.9 ± 6.2	10.9 ± 2.7	NS
IL-6 (pg/ml)	0.378–10.1	4.3 ± 1.5	4.2 ± 2.1	4.4 ± 1.6	4.3 ± 1.9	NS

Values are mean ± standard deviation.

TPA, total plasminogen activator; PAI-1, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1; AT-III, antithrombin III; CRP, C reactive protein; HC, homcysteine; IL-6, interleukin-6.

*p ≤ 0.05 for significant differenece between groups post-treatment by repeated measures anova; ^aby time, ^btime by group.

Table III.  Changes in inflammatory markers in 12 subjects 3 weeks after initial LHRH-A injection.

Marker	Normal values	Baseline	3 weeks post LHRH-A	Mean % change from BL	P value (for % change from BL)
hsCRP (mg/L)	0.068–8.2	2.0 ± 1.8	1.8 ± 1.5	−2.7	NS
HC (umol/L)	4.0–12.0	11.2 ± 2.6	11.0 ± 2.5	−0.6	NS
IL-6 (pg/ml)	0.378–10.1	3.7 ± 1.1	4.0 ± 1.6	7.8	NS

Values are mean ± standard deviation.