Total estrogen.

(nmol/24hours)

Estrogens are the primary female sex hormones. Natural estrogens are steroid hormones. Functional activity of these hormones is realized through hypothalamic factors, somatotrophic hormone secretion in particular. Its structure reminds of prolactin and placental hormone chorionic somatomammotropin, which defines closeness of the biological activity. In this relation, testosterone, estrogens and thyroxin stimulate somatotrophic hormone secretion, in case of hypercorticonemia they suppress it.

Like all steroid hormones, estrogens readily diffuse across the cell membrane. Once inside the cell, they bind to and activate estrogen receptors, which in turn modulate the expression of many genes.

Abnormalities. Disorders or diseases caused or related.

Women suffer less from heart disease due to vascular-protective action of oestrogen, which helps in preventing atherosclerosis. It also helps in maintaining the delicate balance between fighting infections and protecting arteries from damage thus lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Oestrogen has anti-inflammatory properties and helps in mobilization of polymorphonuclear white blood cells or neutrophils.

Estrogen is considered to play a significant role in women’s mental health. Sudden estrogen withdrawal, fluctuating estrogen, and periods of sustained estrogen low levels correlate with significant mood lowering. Clinical recovery from postpartum, perimenopause, and postmenopause depression has been shown to be effective after levels of estrogen were stabilized and/or restored.

About 80% of breast cancers, once established, rely on supplies of the hormone estrogen to grow: they are known as hormone-sensitive or hormone-receptor-positive cancers. Suppression of production of estrogen in the body is a treatment for these cancers. Hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers are treated with drugs which suppress production of estrogen in the body. This technique, in the context of treatment of breast cancer, is known variously as hormonal therapy, hormone therapy, or anti-estrogen therapy (not to be confused with hormone replacement therapy). Certain foods such as soy may also suppress the proliferative effects of estrogen and are used as an alternative to hormone therapy.

Under certain circumstances, estrogen may also be used in males for treatment of prostate cancer.

Hyperestrogenemia (elevated levels of estrogen) may be a result of exogenous administration of estrogen or estrogen-like substances, or may be a result of physiologic conditions such as pregnancy. Any of these causes is linked with an increase in the risk of thrombosis.

The estrogen-alone substudy of the WHI reported an increased risk of stroke and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in postmenopausal women 50 years of age or older and an increased risk of dementia in postmenopausal women 65 years of age or older using 0.625 mg of Premarin conjugated equine estrogens (CEE).

1.        Whitehead SA, Nussey S. Endocrinology: an integrated approach. Oxford: BIOS: Taylor & Francis. 2001. ISBN 978-1-85996-252-7.