ANTIENDOTHELIAL CELL ANTIBODIES IN THE SERA OF HYPERPROLACTINEMIC WOMEN

Prolactin (PRL) is closely associated with autoimmune diseases in anim al models and humans, and several disease-related autoantibodies were reported in increased titers in patients with hyperprolactinemia (HPRL ). We studied the presence of anti-endothelial cell antibodies (AECA) and other autoantibodies in sera of female patients with HPRL. Sera fr om 25 HPRL patients and 10 healthy female controls were tested for AEC A (against both macrovascular and microvascular endothelial cell antig ens), anti-dsDNA, and anti-cardiolipin (anti-CL) using ELISA. Sera wer e considered positive for the autoantibody when the optical density (O D) value was more than 3 s.d. above the mean of the OD in normal contr ols. Sera from 13 patients were obtained repeatedly during dopaminergi c anti-PRL treatment, to relate PRL level or anti-PRL treatment with t he autoantibody levels. Elevated micro and/or macrovascular AECA were observed in sera from 19/25 patients (76%). Elevated titers of anti-CL Abs, all beta 2-GPI-dependent, and low levels of anti-dsDNA antibodie s (Abs) were also observed in the HPRL patients. Inhibition studies sh owed that the affinity purified AECAs bound the endothelial cell (EC) antigens in a dose-dependent manner. Titers of AECA as well as anti-DN A and anti-CL autoantibodies did not correlate with PRL level nor with the use or duration of anti-PRL treatment. None of the HPRL patients presented clinical manifestations of autoimmune disease. We conclude t hat elevated levels of AECA as well as anti-DNA and anti-CL autoantibo dies are frequent in hyperprolactinemia. Our results further support t he association of PRL and autoimmunity, and may point to a relationshi p between AECA-associated diseases and HRPL. The presence of autoantib odies in patients with HPRL might portend an increased risk for future development of autoimmune disease.