Status of Serum Prolactin Levels among Male Cohort in Infertile Couples

Abnormalities of serum prolactin adversely impact the reproductive functions among infertile men. Hence, this study was aimed to determine the influence of prolactin abnormalities on gonadal functions of male cohorts of infertile unions in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

This was a retrospective survey of 1845 males of infertile unions who presented in a health-care facility for reproductive endocrine evaluation following abnormal semen parameters between 2007 and 2018. The demographic, clinical, and laboratory variables were evaluated among study cohorts.

Hyperprolactinemia was observed in 16.7% of the study cohorts with 9.6%, 5.0%, and 2.1% of mild, moderate, and severe grades, respectively. The hyperprolactinemic cohorts had depressed levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormones (LH), and total testosterone (TT) which worsened further with worsening grades of hyperprolactinemia. Inverse relationship of prolactin levels existed with FSH (crude β: -0.651; P < 0.001; adjusted β: -0.666; P < 0.001), LH (crude β: -0.481; P < 0.001; adjusted β: -0.536; P < 0.001), and TT (crude β: -0.525; P < 0.001; adjusted β: -0.546; P < 0.001) in crude analysis and amplified on age and body mass index (BMI) adjustment. The greatest risk of depressive impact of hyperprolactinemia was on serum TT (crude hazard ratio [HR]: 35.185; P < 0.001; age and BMI-adjusted HR: 35.086; P < 0.001). Erectile dysfunction (ED) was the single most isolated sexual abnormality (n = 111; 35.6%) recorded among the general hyperprolactinemics; however, the ED was specifically more prevalent (n = 15; 38.5%) among the severely hyperprolactinemics.

The present study revealed a high frequency of hyperprolactinemia among studied participants. Since the hyperprolactinemia was associated with a large number of cases with other endocrine and sexual dysfunctions, diagnostic and treatment protocols should include prolactin measurement and management during infertility evaluation in males.