Serum prolactin levels in Behçet's disease.

PURPOSE: Evaluation of serum prolactin levels in Behçet's disease patients in Turkey.

METHODS

Serum prolactin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) in 17 patients with ocular findings, and 20 patients without ocular findings of Behçet's disease, and in 17 healthy volunteers.

RESULTS

The average prolactin levels were measured as 9.53 ng/mL in patients with ocular findings, 8.84 ng/mL in patients without ocular findings, and 9.59 ng/mL in healthy controls. There was no statistical significance among these three groups. Also, the average levels were 9.84 ng/mL in remission periods and 7.54 ng/mL in attacks.

CONCLUSIONS

In some studies, it has been suggested there is a correlation between high serum prolactin levels and activation of some autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. However, we found no such correlation in Behçet's disease. On the contrary, prolactin levels were lower in attacks than in remissions.