Establishment of Reference Interval of Serum Prolactin in an Indian Population

Abstract

Background: Reference data on serum prolactin levels based on a representative Indian sample are still lacking. The western normative laboratory values used for clinical diagnosis may not be applicable to Indian population. The objective of the study was to measure the serum prolactin levels in healthy Indian male and female in order to establish reference interval and to compare with the available reference intervals. It is a crosssectional study done in West Bengal, India. Materials and Methods:Based on the history, clinical examination and laboratory investigations, serum prolactin levels of 1316 apparently healthy subjects were estimated by microplate immunoenzymometric assay using pooled serum.Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. Results:The serum prolactin levels for all ages were 10.7 ± 3 ng/ml in healthy male and 11.6 ± 2.8 ng/ml in healthy female. Decade-wise analysis of serum prolactin level in female showed a steady increase from 20-29 years to advancing decades until 4 th decade and thereafter declines steadily although it was not same for male. Conclusion:Our study will help each laboratory to formulate their own reference interval for prolactin. As of now they were dependent either on the values written on the kit-literature supplied by the reagent manufacturing company or the reference intervals of foreign population.

Reference intervals of the sex hormonal profile in healthy women: A retrospective single-center study in Peru

“…Its role in some physiological processes is critical, and its male and female quantifications are linked to diseases [ 26 ]. Given its clinical significance, we establish a reference interval of 25.5 ± 32.7 ng/mL in our findings, which differs from the range estimated in other people, such as healthy females in India (11.6 ± 2.8 ng/m) [ 27 , 28 ]. These differences highlight the importance of establishing reference intervals specific to each population since manufacturers provide general ones with a wide range based on their commercial validation study.…”

Reference Intervals of the Sex Hormonal Profile in Healthy Women: A Retrospective Single-Center Study in Peru

“…Its role in some physiological processes is critical, and its male and female quantifications are linked to diseases [26]. Given its clinical significance, we establish a reference interval of 25.5 AE 32.7 ng/mL in our findings, which differs from the range estimated in other people, such as healthy females in India (11.6 AE 2.8 ng/m) [27,28]. These differences highlight the importance of establishing reference intervals specific to each population since manufacturers provide general ones with a wide range based on their commercial validation study.…”

Pool vs single sample determination of serum prolactin to explore venipuncture associated stress induced variation

“…Prolactin (PRL) is a peptide hormone secreted from acidophilic lactotroph cells of the anterior pituitary gland 1 , 2 . PRL secretion is intermittent and under neuro-endocrinal control mainly through the prolactin releasing factor (PRF) and prolactin inhibiting factor (PIF) 3 , 4 . Secretion of prolactin does not adhere to the typical circadian rhythm but follows a characteristic short-term ‘pulsatile’ pattern.…”