[Hormonal contraception and levels of selected serum proteins]

The authors investigated 116 women who took hormonal contraceptives. All women were subjected to detailed clinical and biochemical examinations. In the serum a number of biochemical and immunological tests was made. Special attention was paid to the estimation of prealbumin, alpha-1-antitrypsin, alpha-2-macroglobulin, orosomucoid and ceruloplasmin. In prealbumin 23 values above normal (from a total of 83 women) were found, in alpha-1-antitrypsin 55 values below normal and 13 values above normal (from 114 women) in alpha-2-macroglobulin 18 values below normal and 3 values above normal (from 67 women) and in orosomucoid 26 values below normal and 2 values above normal (from 116 women) and in the case of ceruloplasmin 2 values below normal and 51 values above normal (from 116 women). The authors discuss the influence of hormonal contraception on the levels of the investigated proteins and on possible subsequent metabolic changes and pathological conditions.