[Prolactin in females with liver cirrhosis]

The median plasma level of prolactin in 94 women with cirrhosis of the liver did not differ significantly when compared with a control group (8,0 versus 7,2 ng/ml). Nevertheless 22% of the investigated women exhibited a plasma prolactin level higher than 15 ng/ml. The prolactin concentrations correlated to the severeness of cirrhosis and in the subgroup with decompensated cirrhosis the prolactin concentrations were found to be significantly elevated (12 ng/ml). Like basal prolactin the TRH-induced prolactin release showed no significant difference between cirrhotic women and controls (36,1 versus 38,5 ng/ml). No difference could be observed between the prolactin concentrations of alcoholic or non alcoholic cirrhotic women, and prolactin did not correlate with estradiol or estrone plasma levels. Other factors than cirrhosis itself (i.e. medical treatment, renal insufficiency, stress) must be discussed as causing hyperprolactinemia in cirrhosis.