Effect of oral contraceptives on erythrocytic porphyrins
Arora, J.G.; Handa, F.; Sidhu, K.S.
Indian Journal of Medical Research 70: 632-635
1979
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-5340 PMID: 541007 Document Number: 444506
The influence of oral contraceptives (OCs) on prophyrins was studied by quantitative estimation of porphyrins by the method of Rimington. 40 women were studied: 30 OC users and 10 controls. Overall, the mean erythrocyte coproporphyrin level of OC users was slightly lower than the controls (P .05). On the other hand, protoporphyrin levels were higher in the study group than the controls (P .05). The study group was further divided into 2 groups based on duration of OC use (less than 6 months and greater than 6 months). The mean values of erythrocyte coproporphyrin and protoporphyrin were .537 and 37.208, respectively, for the less than 6 month group, and .835 and 36.367, respectively, for the greater than 6 month group. 6.6% (2 women) in the study group of OC users had raised coproporphyrins, whereas none in the control group did. There were 5 women (16.6%) in the OC group with raised erythrocyte protoporphyrins, but there was none in the control group of non-OC users. None of these differences is statistically significant, however.