Biochemical association of hyperprolactinemia with hypothyroidism in infertile women

To find out the incidence of hyperprolactinemia in infertile women and to find its correlation with hypothyroidism.

One hundred infertile women attending the out patient Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology formed the subject matter of the study. Hormone levels of prolactin and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) were studied in all the subjects. The exclusion criterion was male factor infertility. Amongst the female factors leading to exclusion from the study were tubal factor, congenital abnormality of the urogenital tract, and any organic lesions.

Of the one hundred infertile women, sixty (60%) had primary infertility and forty women (40%) had secondary infertility. Galactorrhea was present in 15% of the women. The incidence of hyperprolactinemia i.e. serum prolactin level > 15 ng/mL was 46%. Out of forty six, thirty women had primary infertility and sixteen women had secondary infertility. The mean serum prolactin level in hyperprolactinemic women was 79.40 +56.59 ng/mL (range: 25.0-230.0 ng/mL). The mean serum prolactin level was not significantly different in the primary and secondary infertile group. The incidence of hypothyroidism in hyperprolactinemia was 28.26%. The mean serum TSH level in hypothyroid women with hyperprolactinemia was 32.06 +/- 23.00 (range: 7.92-78.00 microIU/mL). The TSH level was not significantly different in primary and secondary infertile women.

A high incidence of hyperprolactinemia was found in infertile women and a positive correlation was found between hyperprolactinemia and hypothyroidism.