Sensitivity to Activated Protein C; Influence of Oral Contraceptives and Sex

C M A Henkens; V J J Bom; A J Seinen; J van der Meer

doi:10.1055/s-0038-1653788

Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Table of Contents

Thromb Haemost 1995; 73(03): 402-404
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1653788

Original Articles

Coagulation

Schattauer GmbH Stuttgart

Sensitivity to Activated Protein C; Influence of Oral Contraceptives and Sex

C M A Henkens

¹The University Hospital, Division of Haemostasis, Thrombosis and Rheology, Groningen, The Netherlands

,

V J J Bom

¹The University Hospital, Division of Haemostasis, Thrombosis and Rheology, Groningen, The Netherlands

,

A J Seinen

¹The University Hospital, Division of Haemostasis, Thrombosis and Rheology, Groningen, The Netherlands

,

J van der Meer

¹The University Hospital, Division of Haemostasis, Thrombosis and Rheology, Groningen, The Netherlands

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

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Summary

We investigated sensitivity to activated protein C (APC) in 43 men, 42 women not using oral contraceptives (OC) and 38 women using OC containing 30.0-37.5 μg ethinyl estradiol. A commercially available kit was used. Men were more sensitive to APC as compared with women not using OC (p <0.005), but this difference seems not to be of clinical importance. Women using OC showed to be significantly less sensitive to APC, reflected by a lower APC-ratio, as compared with men (p <0.005) and women not using OC (p <0.05).

So, in normal individuals the APC-sensitivity differs according to sex and estrogen intake. This should be taken into account when interpreting APC-ratios.

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References

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