Summary
The treatment of haemophilia has been dramatically improved since the introduction
of factor VIII and IX concentrates, however these concentrates have brought new problems
such as hepatitis and A.I.D.S. An oral agent which could raise endogenous levels of
factor VIII and IX would be of great benefit. Danazol, an anabolic steroid, has recently
been shown to increase levels of factors VIII and IX in haemophilia. We therefore
studied the effect of stanozolol, a closely related anabolic steroid, in 15 patients
with haemophilia A or Christmas disease over a 2-4 week period. There was no consistent
change in factor VIIIc or factor IX, and fibrinolysis was significantly enhanced.
No effect was apparent on the incidence of spontaneous bleeds. However serum aminotransferases
which were abnormal in 11 of the 15 patients at the start of the study fell significantly
with stanozolol therapy. This raises the interesting possibility that anabolic steroids
may be beneficial in patients with chronic liver diseases.
Keywords
Stanozolol - Haemophilia - Fibrinolysis - Serum aminotransferases
