Description
Estrone (E1) Saliva Test
Clinical Information
Estrone is one of three main circulating estrogens in humans. Like estradiol, estrone is secreted by the ovaries, but it is also predominantly produced in peripheral tissues by the action of aromatase on its precursor androstenedione. Its estrogenic activity is intermediate to that of estriol, the weakest estrogen, and estradiol, the strongest. Estrone is converted to the more potent estradiol in tissues by the action of 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, and through this conversion it represents the main source of circulating estradiol in postmenopausal women and in men. Estrone is the predominant circulating estrogen in postmenopausal women, compared to estradiol which predominates in premenopausal women. This is because ovarian estradiol production declines significantly post-menopause while estrone production from androstenedione changes minimally compared to premenopause. The aromatization of androstenedione to estrone increases with increased body weight, since aromatase is prevalent in fat tissue. This increased availability of estrone contributes to the rise in circulating estradiol with increasing body mass index in obese postmenopausal women. The reference range for saliva estrone is 3.2—7.9 pg/mL in premenopausal women during the luteal phase; 0.9—3.1 pg/mL in postmenopausal women; and 1.3—3.6 pg/mL in men.
