Serum Hormone Levels of Prolactin and Prolactin Content of Nonfunctioning Pituitary Adenomas and Normal Pituitary Glands

Authors

  • SABA KHALID
  • KHALID MAHMOOD
  • M. ARSLAN
  • Tariq Salahuddin

Keywords:

PRL-secreting adenoma, Pituitary content

Abstract

Objective and Study Design:   The present study was undertaken to assess the effect of surgical removal of adenoma on peripheral prolactin (PRL) hormone. In addition, the pituitary PRL hormone has also been measured directly in the adenoma tissue following its surgical removal and in the normal pituitary glands.

Material and Methods:  The present study is based on 19 patients (16 males and 3 females), 30-50 year of age, diagnosed for NFPAs on the basis of clinical and radiological evidence. An equal number of age matched healthy subjects were included as controls. 

Results:  The mean serum PRL concentration in male patients before removal of the adenoma were significantly higher (P<0.05) than values obtained after surgical removal of the adenoma and those of control subjects. In 5 of these 16 patients (PA1, PA10, PA14, PA28, PA30) serum PRL concentrations were markedly above the normal limit of circulating PRL levels (>17.0 ng/ml), the levels being ~ 2-fold of the mean control levels. The PRL levels returned to normal range following ablation of adenoma in these patients. The individual and mean serum PRL levels in the remaining 11 (68.75%) patients were in normal range before and after surgery. 

Conclusions:  Taken together, the present data suggest that a significant proportion of NFPAs may actively synthesize and secrete pituitary hormones such as PRL, in amounts that may not be sufficient to produce any overt clinical signs of hormone hypersecretion.

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Published

2022-08-08

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 2 (2008): July-December

Section

Original Articles

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