Description
The naturally-occurring estrogens are estrone (E
1, ), estradiol (E
2, ), and estriol (E
3, ). 16α-
hydroxy Estrone (16α-
OHE
1) is a hydroxylated metabolite of E
1 as well as an interconversion product with E
2. E
1 is 16α-
hydroxylated by cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoforms, including CYP1A1, CYP3A5, CYP3A4, and CYP3A7, with CYP3A5 being breast-
specific. 16α-
OHE
1 is sulphatized or glucuronidated before excretion. It is increased in rheumatoid arthritis and decreased by physical activity. Unlike the parent estrogens and other hydroxylated metabolites of E
1, 16α-
OHE
1 binds covalently and persistently activates estrogen receptors. In addition, this metabolite increases cell proliferation and does not suppress TNF-
α secretion, whereas other estrogen metabolites are not pro-
proliferative and have marked effects on TNF-
α secretion. The levels of 16α-
OHE
1 are increased in some forms of hormone therapy. Because hormone therapy increases breast cancer risk, 16α-
OHE
1 has been implicated as a risk factor for breast cancer, although supportive data remains elusive.