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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · J Lab Physicians 2021; 13(04): 353-357
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1732490
Original Article

Prevalence of Macroprolactinemia in People Detected to Have Hyperprolactinemia

Lokesh Kumar Sharma
1   Department of Biochemistry, Atal Behari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences (ABVIMS) and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital, New Delhi (formerly Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research [PGIMER] and Dr RML Hospital, New Delhi), India
,
Deep Dutta 
2   Department of Endocrinology, CEDAR Superspeciality Healthcare, New Delhi, India
,
Neera Sharma
1   Department of Biochemistry, Atal Behari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences (ABVIMS) and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital, New Delhi (formerly Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research [PGIMER] and Dr RML Hospital, New Delhi), India
,
Bindu Kulshreshtha
3   Department of Endocrinology, ABVIMS & Dr RML Hospital, New Delhi (formerly PGIMER & Dr RML Hospital, New Delhi), India
,
Sandhya Lal
1   Department of Biochemistry, Atal Behari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences (ABVIMS) and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital, New Delhi (formerly Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research [PGIMER] and Dr RML Hospital, New Delhi), India
,
Ritika Sethi
1   Department of Biochemistry, Atal Behari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences (ABVIMS) and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital, New Delhi (formerly Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research [PGIMER] and Dr RML Hospital, New Delhi), India
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Abstract

Background Macroprolactinemia is an analytic laboma encountered as a part of prolactin assay. No data are available on the burden of macroprolactinemia in Indians. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and predictors of macroprolactinemia among people with hyperprolactinemia.

Methods Consecutive patients detected to have serum prolactin > 18 ng/mL as per the upper reference limit were further screened for macroprolactin by post-polyethylene-glycol (PEG)-precipitation test. Macroprolactinemia was defined as post-PEG recovery of prolactin < 40%.

Results The four most common underlying etiologies for the testing of hyperprolactinemia were polycystic ovary syndrome (n = 402; 32.71%), pituitary adenomas (n = 318; 25.87%), drug-induced hyperprolactinemia (n = 224; 18.23%), and infertility (n = 126; 10.25%). A total of 1,229 patients (male:female = 191:1038) having mean age 30.46 ± 10.14 years had hyperprolactinemia, of which 168 (13.7%) were diagnosed to have macroprolactinemia. Macroprolactinemia was significantly higher in females than males (15.03 vs. 6.28%; p < 0.001). Age quartile-based analysis revealed no difference in occurrence of macroprolactinemia. Only 34 patients (2.76%) with macroprolactinemia (< 40% recovery of prolactin post-PEG precipitation) had raised prolactin levels after recovery. These patients primarily had underlying pituitary pathology.

Conclusion Macroprolactinemia is not uncommon in people being tested for hyperprolactinemia. We should not hesitate to screen for macroprolactinemia in patients who have incidentally been detected to have hyperprolactinemia.

Keywords

macroprolactin - prolactin - macroprolactinemia - pituitary


Publication History

Article published online:
12 July 2021

© 2021. The Indian Association of Laboratory Physicians. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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