Macroprolactin Recovery
General information:
Macroprolactin is an important source of interference, misdiagnosis and therapeutic decision in patients with hyperprolactinemia. Its values are also important in cases of hypothalamic, pituitary and adrenal disorders. In some patients, prolactin circulates bound to immunoglobulin, forming an immunoreactive prolactin with a large molecular mass: macroprolactin. It is biologically inactive, but in molar values it can seriously increase the concentration of free prolactin. The most commonly used prolactin tests cross-react with this macroprolactin. and lead to artificial hyperprolactinemia. This is especially useful in cases of elevated prolactin values without correlation with the patient's clinic. According to recent data, between 10-20% of the sera of patients with hyperprolactinemia have detectable levels of macroprolactin.
Sample required:
Venous blood in morning in fasting
The test for prolactin and macroprolactin has several features:
- Prolactin levels rise during sleep, so it is good to measure 2 hours after waking up
- values can increase after walking, physical exertion (climbing stairs), so it is good that the patients were at rest before the examination
- Stress affects prolactin, in more sensitive patients even venipuncture itself increases hormone levels
- Special attention in patients with hypothyroidism, polycystic ovary, epilepsy
- Taking medications (methyldopa, reserpine, morphine, metaclopramide, psychotropics)
- Sexual contacts immediately before the examination should be avoided
Key words:
Macro prolactin Recovery (MRPL)