Estriol Saliva ELISA

Estriol (also Oestriol) is one of the three main
estrogens produced by the human body. It is only
produced in significant amounts during pregnancy as
it is made by the fetus. During pregnancy the
production of estriol depends on an intact maternalplacental-fetal
unit. Fetal-placental production of
estriol leads to a progressive rise in maternal
circulating levels reaching a late-gestational peak
several orders of magnitude greater than nonpregnant
levels. In the maternal circulation, estriol
undergoes a rapid conjugation in the liver followed by
urinary excretion with a half-life of about 20 minutes.
Since normal estriol production depends on an intact
maternal-placental-fetal circulation and functional fetal
metabolism, maternal estriol levels have been used to
monitor fetal status during pregnancy, particularly
during the third trimester. DHEA-S is produced by the
adrenal cortex of the fetus, this is converted to estriol
by the placenta. If levels are abnormally low in a
pregnant woman, this may indicate a problem with the
development in the child.
Levels of estriol in non-pregnant women do not
change much after menopause, and levels are not
significantly different from levels in men.