Medroxyprogesterone acetate and lipid metabolic changes

Lipid metabolic changes under oral treatment with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) were investigated in four groups of patients: group I; 10 patients aged 25-45 (mean 38) years received 50 mg MPA daily for pelvic endometriosis. Group II; 21 patients aged 55-77 (mean 62) years received 200 mg MPA daily for surgically treated endometrial carcinoma stage I. Group III; 14 praemenopausal patients aged 37-52 (mean 47) years received 1000 mg MPA daily for metastasized breast cancer. Group IV; 27 postmenopausal patients aged 53-78 (mean 68) years were treated with 1000 mg MPA daily for metastatic breast cancer as well. A fifth group of initially 86 patients aged 40-86 (mean 63) years after surgery for endometrial carcinoma stage I served as untreated control for groups II and IV. Cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were measured enzymatically lipoproteins were determined by quantitative electrophoresis and precipitation and apolipoproteins A₁ and B were quantified by kinetic rate nephelometry. Whereas in patients of group I no changes of lipid and lipoprotein parameters were observed, daily oral doses of 200 mg MPA and more led to a marked fall in α-lipoprotein-, HDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein A₁ levels. β-Lipoprotein-, LDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein B concentrations rose significantly in Groups III and IV. The relevance of these findings in terms of atherogenicity is discussed.