Serum prolactin level in women with systemic lupus erythematosus and its correlation with disease activity

Abstract

Background: In the last decade, evidence supports the hypothesis that the prolactin (PRL) hormone plays an important role in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) clinical expression and pathogenesis. Objective: To evaluate the presence, clinical, and serological significance of elevated serum PRL in women with SLE. Materials and Methods: A case–control study included 30 women with SLE; with mean age and disease duration were 33.15 ± 6.7 and 10.9 ± 1.9, respectively, and 30 age-matched apparently healthy subjects served as controls. All patients were subjected to clinical and serological evaluation. Disease activity was measured using the SLE Disease Activity Index. Serum PRL level was estimated for all the participants. Results: Serum PRL levels were 36.2 ± 15.8 ng/ml and 8.9 ± 4.4 ng/ml in patients with SLE and controls, respectively. Malar rash, photosensitivity, and arthritis were associated with elevated serum PRL. Positive antinuclear antibodies ANA and low complements were associated with a high serum PRL level. In addition, 18 (85.7%) patients with high disease activity have hyperprolactinemia, while only 3 (14.3%) patients with high disease activity have a normal range of serum PRL levels. Conclusion: SLE patients were associated with higher serum PRL levels than the control group. There was a significant relationship between serological status and hypocomplementemia with high serum PRL levels. In addition, there was a significant relationship between active disease and hyperprolactinemia.

Keywords

• c3 and c4
• prolactin
• systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index
• systemic lupus erythematosus