Postmenopausal serum androstenedione levels are associated with the calcitonin receptor gene polymorphism T1377c. A pilot study.

We tested the hypothesis that homeostasis of sex-steroids is related to the calcitonin receptor (CALCR) genotype. To determine the CALCR genotype PCR amplification followed by digestion with Alul restriction enzyme were carried out according to Nakamura et al. Indeed, a single nucleotide difference at position 1377 of cDNA generates two alleles (CC genotype or TT genotype). Serum estradiol, testosterone and their precursors androstendione (AD) and DHEA levels were estimated in a cohort of 113 postmenopausal women. While serum DHEA levels did not differ between the individual allele combinations, AD levels as well as AD/DHEA ratio were higher in carriers of TC and CC genotypes than those with TT genotype (p<0.05 and p<0.02, respectively, ANCOVA). We postulate that the 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity is associated with C allele at least in C19 steroids. The data correspond with the functionality of CALCR.