The genes governing how your body produces and converts sex hormones help set your baseline hormonal environment.
Aromatase activity, DHT conversion, steroid synthesis, and vitamin D receptor efficiency. None of these variants is in Varia's catalog today.
Not in Varia's catalog. These variants are candidates for future review; Varia does not read them from your file today.
The Biology
Sex hormones are not produced at fixed rates. Their synthesis and interconversion are regulated by enzymes encoded by genes that vary between individuals. The same testosterone will be converted to estradiol at different rates in two people with different CYP19A1 aromatase activity, and to DHT at different rates depending on SRD5A2 5-alpha reductase activity. These differences are relevant to fertility, hormone-sensitive conditions, and some medications.
The Variants We Are Watching
These variants sit on the main sex-hormone synthesis and conversion enzymes. CYP19A1 (aromatase, rs4646) controls the rate of testosterone-to-estrogen conversion. SRD5A2 (rs523349) governs DHT production from testosterone via 5-alpha reductase type 2, the enzyme finasteride targets. CYP17A1 (rs743572) regulates a rate-limiting step in both androgen and estrogen biosynthesis. VDR Fok1 (rs2228570) affects vitamin D receptor transcriptional efficiency; vitamin D acts as a steroid hormone with effects on sex-hormone production, calcium metabolism, and immune modulation. These are candidates for future review, not findings Varia reports today.
Why They Are of Interest
These enzymes sit on pathways many people ask about. CYP19A1 and SRD5A2 shape how much of a given testosterone level is aromatized to estrogen or converted to DHT. VDR Fok1 bears on how the receptor responds to a given vitamin D level. The biology is well characterized and the questions are common, which is why these are on Varia's candidate list.
Where This Stands
Varia does not report these variants. The enzyme biology is well established, but the replicated, peer-reviewed evidence tying these specific genotypes to outcomes has not met Varia's bar for an individual finding. If that evidence becomes strong and replicated enough, they can enter the catalog and your scan.
Key Sources
- Haiman CA, et al. Genetic variation at the CYP19A1 locus predicts circulating estrogen levels but not breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women. Cancer Res. 2007.
- Makridakis NM, et al. Association of mis-sense substitution in SRD5A2 gene with prostate cancer in African-American and Hispanic men in Los Angeles, USA. Lancet. 1999.
- Arai H, et al. A vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism in the translation initiation codon: effect on protein activity and relation to bone mineral density in Japanese women. J Bone Miner Res. 1997.