Prolactin levels in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a case controlled study

Abstract

Recent accumulated evidence suggests that prolactin (PRL) is an important immunomodulator and might have a role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Our aim was to assess the frequency of hyperprolactinemia in women with SLE and to evaluate its correlation with disease activity. PRL plasma levels were measured in 36 women with SLE and 20 age-matched healthy controls. We excluded patients with renal and/or hepatic failure, pregnant patients and patients taking drugs which could increase PRL levels. Disease activity was assessed using the SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI). Patients with a score > 10 were considered active. In patients and controls, PRL levels were determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA) during the first part of the menstrual cycle (between the 5th and 8th day) (normal value < 20 ng/ml). Ten of 36 (27.7%) SLE patients had high PRL levels (> 20 ng/ml). The mean PRL level was higher in SLE than in the control group (17.1+/-12.9 s.d. vs 9.9+/-3.5, P < 0.01). Patients with active disease had a trend to higher mean PRL levels than inactive patients although this difference was not statistically significant (21.1+/-4.8 vs 14.8+/-6.9, P = 0.09). No correlation was found between PRL levels and SLEDAI score. Furthermore, no significant correlation was found between PRL levels and any clinical or serological finding.

Sex hormones and systemic lupus erythematosus: Review and meta‐analysis

“…Estradiol stimulates prolactin secretion, and prolactin suppresses gonadal steroid synthesis (69,70). As shown in Table 4 and Figure 4, several studies have examined the relationship of prolactin and SLE in adults, comparing either the mean concentrations in patients with those of controls or normal and abnormal prolactin concentrations (hyperprolactinemia), with or without a control population (71)(72)(73)(74)(75)(76)(77)(78)(79)(80)(81)(82)(83)(84)(85)(86)(87). Seven of 10 female-only and 2 of 4 male-only SLE studies showed significantly increased serum prolactin concentrations in adult lupus patients compared with controls.…”

Bromocriptine restores tolerance in estrogen-treated mice

“…There is increasing evidence that prolactin functions also as an immunostimulatory molecule and, therefore, has the potential to contribute to the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases (14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21). An association between SLE and elevated prolactin levels has been suggested (22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29); attempts to correlate prolactin levels with either global lupus activity (30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36) or specific organ involvement (37,38), however, have yielded varying results. Small-scale clinical trials in SLE with bromocriptine, a drug that blocks prolactin secretion by the anterior pituitary, have suggested a beneficial effect in patients with mild and moderate disease activity (25,39).…”

Big Prolactin 60 kDa is Overexpressed in Salivary Glandular Epithelial Cells from Patients with Sjögren's Syndrome

“…The peptide hormone prolactin belongs to the cytokine superfamily of the helix bundle peptide hormones (Goffin et al, 1996) and its receptors are genetically a part of the cytokine-hematopoietin receptor superfamily (Cosman, 1993). PRL is known to stimulate humoral and cell-mediated immune responses and may have a role in the pathogenesis of various autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (Jimena et al, 1998;Neidhart, 1996). Furthermore, hyperprolactinemia was found in 46% of patients with primary Sjö gren's syndrome (Gutié rrez et al, 1994), correlation between high levels of prolactin and active disease has been observed (Allen et al, 1996), and serum PRL was recently associated with extraglandular disease manifestations in primary SS (Haga and Rygh, 1999).…”