European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

STUDIES ON SOME PLASMA BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS IN SHORT AND LONG TERM USERS OF ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES CONTAINING LOWER DOSES OF ESTROGEN AND PROGESTIN COMPOSITION IN LAGOS, NIGERIA

Emmanuel Tonbra Egoro*, Ogbede Gloria Tokoni and Chukwuma Samuel Anakwe

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to assess the concentrations of some plasma biochemical parameters in short and long term users of oral contraceptives containing lower doses of estrogen and progestin composition as compared with that of non contraceptive users (control). 5ml blood specimen each was collected into lithium heparinized anticoagulated bottle from one hundred and fifty apparently healthy volunteers who were grouped into three with group one consisting of fifty volunteers who have been on these oral contraceptives for a period of ≤ 5months (short term users) aged 31-35 years (experimental group one), group two consisting of another fifty volunteers who have been on these oral contraceptives for a period of ≥ 2 years (long term users) aged 31-35 years (experimental group two) and group three consisting of the remaining fifty volunteers who were not on oral contraceptives or any other medications before and during the course of this study aged 31-35 years (control group). The plasma obtained from the spun blood specimens were used for the quantitative measurement of creatinine, urea, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin and C-reactive protein. The results showed that the mean values of plasma alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin and C-reactive protein were significantly elevated (p≤0.05) in the long term users of these oral contraceptives (experimental group two) as compared with that of non contraceptive users (control group) while the mean values of plasma creatinine and urea were not significantly different (p≥0.05) as compared with that of non contraceptive users (control group). However, the results went further to show that there were no statistical significant differences (p≥0.05) in the mean values of all the plasma biochemical parameters measured in the short term users of these oral contraceptives (experimental group one) as compared with that of non contraceptive users (control group).In conclusion, this study has affirmed that plasma alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin and C-reactive protein concentrations are elevated in long term users of oral contraceptives containing lower doses of estrogen and progestin composition for a period of ≥ 2 years aged 31-35 years. It is therefore recommended that long term users of oral contraceptives containing lower doses of estrogen and progestin composition should embark on routine laboratory investigations on these plasma biochemical parameters with the aim to bring the concentrations to normal value if found elevated.

Keywords: Studies, plasma biochemical parameters, short term users of oral contraceptives, long term users of oral contraceptives, Lagos, Nigeria.