Estradiol (E2)

It is the estrogen steroid hormone and it is the major female minor male sex hormone.It is involved in the ovulatory and and menstrual female reprductive cycles. Estradiol is responsible for the developmant of female secondary sexual characteristics such as breasts, widening of the hips and female associated fat distribution, mammary glands, uterus and vagina during puberty. ,adulthood and pregnancy.It has other important functions in bone metabolism, skin, liver and the brain.
Estradiol is produced mainly in the follicules and the granulosa cells of the ovary but also in testicles and adrenal glands, adipose tissue, liver, breasts, arterial walls and the brain.The precursor molecule is cholesterol. In the synthesis pathway, androstenedione, estrone and estradiol are the midstep and end products. Androstenedion may be converted into testosterone which can also be converted to estradiol.
In plasma, E2 is largely bound to Sex Hormone Binding Globulin and albumin which is the active type(% 2.21)
Upon menapause, ovaries no longer produce estradiol and the prosess of feminisation pauses.
Interpretation:In normal menstruel cycle, E2 levels are lower than 50 pg/ml and rise with folicular development (peak 200 pg/ml) at ovulation and drops just after ovulation followed by a second rise in the postovulatuar (luteal) phase. It drops again unless there is a pregnancy. During pregnancy, E2 levels rise steadily towards term. The source is placenta where prohormones are formed in the fetal adrenal gland and aromatized by enzymes into estradiol . Estradiol levels, should be interpreted in view of last menstrual date with the clinician’s observations and therapy protocol
Sample: Arm vein blood. Nonfasting
Working day: Everyday
Result Time: Same day 2 hour