Abstract

Sera were sampled from 83 people (pre- and post-menopausal women and men). Climacteric symptoms of 23 women were treated with conjugated estrogen. Sera were sampled serially until the 21st day of estrogen administration. Serum concentrations of 40 protein components were measured by micro single radial immunodiffusion. The serum proteins were classified into 5 types according to changes after menopause and estrogen therapy, respectively. Type 1 (decreased after menopause and increased by estrogen; alpha 1-antitrypsin, alpha 2-HS - glycoprotein, beta 2-glycoprotein III, Gc-globulin, alpha 1-lipoprotein and alpha 2-AP-glycoprotein), type 2 (unchanged and increased; ceruloplasmin), type 3 (increased and decreased; alpha 1-acid glycoprotein, haptoglobin, serum amyloid P-component, Zn-alpha 2-glycoprotein, beta-lipoprotein and C1-components), type 4 (unchanged and decreased; hemopexin, antithrombin III, beta 2-glycoprotein I, prealbumin and retinol-binding-protein), type 5 (unchanged by estrogen; immunoglobulin M (IgM), IgG and others). Estrogen replacement therapy restored pre-menopausal levels of serum proteins, types 1 and 3. However, estrogen therapy was associated with significantly abnormal levels of proteins, types 2 and 4 in post-menopausal women. Serum levels of type 1 proteins and some type 5 proteins (IgM, alpha 1B-glycoprotein, C9-component and alpha 2-macroglobulin) were higher in pre-menopausal women than in men, whereas type 3 proteins were the opposite.