Association between serum prolactin and high sensitive CrP as an inflammatory marker of cardiovascular risk

Objective: To investigate a possible association between prolactin and inflammatory cardiovascular risk markers we determined high sensitive CrP in 26 patients with prolactinomas and sex and age matched controls.

Material and Methods: We investigated 10 patients with PRL <100 mIE/ml (4 men; age:45±7yrs) compared to 18 patients (8 men; age: 42±10yrs) with PRL values in the normal (100–500) range and 26 patients (11 men; age: 46±12yrs) with elevated PRL values (500–5000 n=16; >5000 n=10).

Results: Patients with lower PRL values revealed significant (p=0.01) lower CrP values (928±708 ng/ml range: 218–1857) compared to those groups with normal PRL values (CrP mean: 1490±1302 ng/ml, range: 145–4385) or with increased PRL (CrP mean: 2551±2945 ng/ml, range: 133–11322). Patients with increased PRL had also higher PRL values compared to controls with normal PRL values (p=0.03). Moreover, we detected a parallel decrease of PRL and CrP in 5 patients under therapy.

Conclusions: Our data indicate an association between hyperprolactinemia and CrP as an marker of increased inflammatory cardiovascular risk.