SCREENING FOR MACROPROLACTINAEMIA IN NIGERIAN WOMEN WITH INFERTILITY AND HYPERPROLACTINAEMIA USING POLYETHYLENEGLYCOL PRECIPITATION METHOD

Abstract

Aim: To establish macrprolactinaemia as a cause of
hyperprolactinaemia.
Method: This study was carried out on 120 apparently healthy
premenopausal female volunteers between the ages of 16 to 45 years
and also on 60 hyperprolactinaemic samples from women attending
Infertility Clinic in Lagos University Teaching hospital (LUTH). Blood
was collected from each of the 120 healthy subjects for determination of
serum prolactin before and after polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation.
The 60 hyperprolactinaemic samples (serum prolactin level > 700mIU/L)
were reanalyzed for serum prolactin before and after PEG precipitation
with percentage recovery of serum monomeric prolactin calculated and
prevalence of macroprolactinaemia in hyperprolactinaemic patients
determined. Also the total serum IgG levels of the hyperprolactinaemic
samples were measured. Reference interval studies were performed
using the non-parametric Guidelines of International Federation of
Clinical Chemistry (IFCC). Statistical analysis was found with paired t
test and the level of significance was set at P < 0.05.
Results: The reference interval for serum prolactin before and after PEG
treatment of 120 sera from healthy reference individuals are 76.6 –
856.4mIU/L and 27.5 – 290.1 mIU/L respectively. The prevalence of
macroprolactinaemia in hyperprolactinaemic Nigerian women with
infertility is 76.4%. The mean serum total IgG concentrations in 60
hyperprolactinaemic samples is 2485.7 (863.4) mg/dl compared with
1903.8 (460.1) mg/dl in 20 normal controls. There was statistically
significant negative relationship between serum total IgG levels in true
hyperprolactinaemic sera and those of macroprolactinaemic sera.
Conclusion: The reference intervals of serum prolactin in apparently
healthy premenopausal Nigerian females in Lagos before and after PEG
precipitation process were 76.6 – 856.4mIU/L and 27.5 – 290.1mIU/L.
These are comparable to previously established values. There is a
relatively high prevalence rate of macroprolactinaemia in
hyperprolactinaemic Nigerian women.

SCREENING FOR MACROPROLACTINAEMIA IN NIGERIAN WOMEN WITH INFERTILITY AND HYPERPROLACTINAEMIA USING POLYETHYLENEGLYCOL PRECIPITATION METHOD