Serum levels of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 are decreased in women receiving oral contraceptives compared with normally menstruating women: Implications in atherosclerosis

Long-term exposure to exogenous estrogens suppresses serum levels of sVCAM-1. Short-term changes in endogenous estrogens, as observed during the menstrual cycle, may not alter VCAM-1 expression; TNF-α and IL-6 may play a role in the regulation of VCAM-1 expression in vivo.