Plasma prolactin and prolactin release in liver cirrhosis.

A significant increase of basal plasma prolactin levels (radioimmunoassayed) in 75 patients with liver cirrhosis was found in comparison to 50 male controls (8.5+/-4.5 (SD) vs. 5.5+/-1.7 ng/ml p less than 0.001). The extent and incidence of hyperprolactinaemia in 48 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis was more pronounced than in 27 cases of cirrhosis of non-alcoholic aetiologies (mean 9.7+/-4.8 vs. 5.7+/-2.1 ng/ml). No relation to ascites formation as well as to the development of gynaecomastia was apparent. Prolactin release following thyrotropin-releasing hormone was markedly enhanced in alcoholic as compared to non-alcoholic cirrhosis. Possibly hyperprolactinaemia and increased pituitary hormone reserve reflects hyperoestrogenism but changes of the hypothalamic regulation cannot be excluded as yet.