Prothrombin Time, Activated Thromboplastin Time, Fibrinogen and D-Dimer Levels and von-Willebrand Activity of Patients with Sheehan's Syndrome and the Effect of Hormone Replacement Therapy on These Factors

Abstract

Increased mortality due to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease has been described in adult patients with hypopituitarism, although the precise underlying mechanisms remain undetermined. Various abnormalities of coagulation and fibrinolysis occur in patients with thyroid diseases. Conversely, there are conflicting reports concerning the effects of growth hormone replacement on coagulation and fibrinolytic pathways in hypopituitary adults, and there is no existing data on the effects of hypocortisolism on thrombotic and fibrinolytic systems. The same controversial data were also obtained in studies which evaluate the effects of estrogen replacement therapy on cardiovascular events in post-menopausal women. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Sheehan's syndrome (SS), which is a common cause of hypopituitarism, on haemostatic factors and to assess the effects of L-thyroxin, prednisolone and conjugated estrogen / medroxyprogesterone acetate replacement on these factors. Prothrombin time (PT), activated thromboplastin time (aPTT), fibrinogen and D-dimer levels, and von-Willebrand factor (vWF) activity were compared among 32 patients with SS and 35 control subjects (CS) with similar age. A shorter PT and aPTT, higher fibrinogen and d-dimer levels, and similar vWF activity were determined in patients with SS as compared with CS. In addition, it was determined that hormone replacement treatment did not have a significant effect on coagulation parameters except the fibrinogen and d-dimer levels.