DESCRIPTION:
Prolactin is a hormone secreted in the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland. Its function, in addition to its role in milk secretion, also relates to the regulation of the reproductive cycle, fetal and maternal metabolism during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Minor variations in prolactin concentrations can be observed in healthy women throughout the day, in certain stressful situations, after breast examinations, and for example, during gynecological examinations. Also, during the period around ovulation, the level of this hormone is slightly elevated and has no clinical significance. To determine secretory prolactin, three consecutive measurements are taken over 2 hours (0 minutes, 60 minutes, and 120 minutes) in the morning hours. You must arrive 2 hours after waking for the first blood sampling.
DETERMINATION:
Sample: SERUM
CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
ELEVATED: pregnancy – stress – estrogen, progesterone, and androgen therapy – pituitary adenoma – hypothyroidism – breast tumor. High prolactin concentrations have an inhibitory role on steroid production in the ovary and on the production and secretion of gonadotropic pituitary hormones into the bloodstream. Elevated serum prolactin concentration is found in more than 40% of all amenorrhea cases. Elevated serum prolactin concentration may be caused by dopamine inhibitor therapy, hypothyroidism, pituitary adenoma, and hereditary hyperprolactinemia also exists. High prolactin concentrations can also be found in kidney and breast diseases. In men, hyperprolactinemia leads to impotence and reduced libido in both men and women. DECREASED: Decreased prolactin values can be found in breast carcinoma, thyroid hypofunction, schizophrenia, paranoid states and other psychoses, anorexia nervosa, depression, rheumatoid arthritis, and bulimia.
RESULT:
The reference interval depends on gender, age, and the determination method. The reference interval is displayed on each validated report.
46.50€