[Elevated prolactin reserves in gonadal dysgenesis and agonadism]

Prolactin-reserve before and after TRH-stimulation was studied in 12 patients with gonadal dysgenesis and 2 children with agonadism. 7 patients (50%) had moderately increased basal PRL levels and 13 (93%) showed exaggerated PRL-responses to TRH at 30 min. The increased prolactin-reserve was independent of age and karyotype of our patients. Cause and significance of this observation remains to be clarified. It is speculated that elevated PRL-levels could be only a side-effect of hypergonadotropism in hypo- and agonadal subjects.