Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare (Jun 2022)

Gender-specific reference intervals for serum prolactin concentrations before and after precipitation by polyethylene glycol

  • Pallavi Chincholkar,
  • Chin Pin Yeo,
  • Clement Kam Man Ho

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/20101058211049838
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 31

Abstract

Read online

Prolactin, a hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary, exists in three major forms in circulation. The macroprolactin form is biologically inactive but contributes to elevated serum prolactin concentrations. Precipitation of macroprolactin by polyethylene glycol (PEG) is widely used in clinical laboratories for the screening of macroprolactin. The aim of this study was two-fold. Firstly, we sought to establish locally relevant reference intervals for serum prolactin and post-PEG precipitation prolactin concentrations in both genders on the Roche Cobas Prolactin II electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Secondly, the prolactin concentrations after precipitation by PEG dissolved in phosphate-buffered saline (post-PEG(PBS)) were compared with those after precipitation by PEG dissolved in deionised water (PEG(diH2O)). Prolactin concentrations were measured by using the Prolactin Gen II assay on a Roche Cobas e601 analyser. Recoveries of prolactin after precipitation by PEG in PBS and PEG in diH2O were 64.7%–115.8% and 60.9–100.8%, respectively. Post-PEG (PBS) prolactin concentrations were not statistically different from post-PEG (diH2O) prolactin concentrations in either gender.