PROLACTIN PROFILE IN A COHORT OF CHINESE SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUSPATIENTS

Prolactin (PRL) is an important immunoregulatory hormone secreted by t he anterior pituitary gland. Hyperprolactinaemia has been implicated i n the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, cli nical studies regarding the PRL level and lupus disease activity have yielded contradictory results. The aim of our present study was, there fore, to re-evaluate the association of PRL level and disease activity in SLE by analysing a larger patient cohort and following them up ser ially. Seventy-two consecutive SLE patients were recruited and the ser um PRL level was measured at each visit. Our results showed that hyper prolactinaemia (>500 mIU/l) occurred in 35% (25/72) of the patients. A total of 72% (18/25) of the hyperprolactinaemic patients had mild ele vation (arbitrarily defined as 500-800 mIU/l) of the level only. No co rrelation could be found between the PRL level and various clinical an d serological parameters of lupus disease activity. On serial follow-u p of 44 patients, again no correlation between PRL and disease activit y could be demonstrated. We conclude that hyperprolactinaemia occurs i n some patients with SLE, but the serum level of PRL does not correlat e with clinical or serological disease activity and is not a reliable marker for disease monitoring. The mechanism and pathoaetiological and clinical significance of hyperprolactinaemia in a small subset of SLE patients remain unclear and a longer follow-up is necessary.