The aim of the study was to measure the concentrations of plasma homocysteine in premenopausal and postmenopausal women, and to examine a possible relationship between plasma homocysteine and oestrogen status. Homocysteine metabolism was studied by a standardized oral methionine loading test, and oestrogen status was assessed by the measurement of serum 17 beta-oestradiol. Forty-six premenopausal and 26 postmenopausal healthy women without a history of vascular disease or adverse pregnancy outcome were recruited by public advertisement. The main outcome measures were the concentrations of fasting and postmethionine plasma homocysteine, and serum 17 beta-oestradiol. Fasting plasma homocysteine concentrations (mean +/- SD) were significantly higher in postmenopausal women as compared to premenopausal women (12 +/- 4 mumol L-1 and 10 +/- 3 mumol L-1, respectively) as well as postmethionine plasma homocysteine concentrations (46 +/- 16 mumol L-1 and 32 +/- 9 mumol L-1, respectively). In premenopausal women, postmethionine plasma homocysteine was negatively and significantly correlated to serum 17 beta-oestradiol (r = -0.34). It is concluded that plasma homocysteine concentrations, both fasting and after methionine loading, are significantly higher in postmenopausal women than in premenopausal women. In premenopausal women, the higher concentrations of serum 17 beta-oestradiol may account in part for the lower concentrations of postmethionine plasma homocysteine.