A Correlative Study of Serum Prolactin with the Severity of Liver Disease

Abstract

Abstract Background: Liver cirrhosis is the most common outcome of liver parenchymal disease due to diferent causes. Disruption of the gonadalaxis and hormonal dysregulation is known in cirrhosis.There are only a few studies from the Indian subcontinent which use prolactin as a marker for liver disease and very few which evaluate prolactin in cirrhosis due to varied causes. Aims and Objectives: To correlate the levels of serum prolactin with child pugh score in the estimation of the severity of liver cirrhosis. Methodology: This was a cross sectional study done over a period of 18 months at a tertiary care centre in Mysore. 75 patients with chronic liver disease were included into the study by purposive sampling method. Complete hemogram, RFT, LFT, PT/INR and USG done on admission as part of routine work up of cases were utilised and Child Pugh score was calculated. Serum prolactin was estimated using chemiluminescence method and it was correlated with the Child Pugh class. Results: Serum prolactin levels were elevated in patients belonging to Child Pugh class C (mean prolactin 22.9 ng/ml).Prolactin levels were significantly higher in patients belonging to Child Pugh class C (p<0.001) and also those having raised MELD scores (p <0.0001). There was a significant positive correlation with increased prolactin levels and hepatic encephalopathy (P < 0.001). Higher prolactin levels on admission were associated with higher mortality (P < 0.0001). Conclusion: This study established a significant positive correlation between increased prolactin levels and severity of liver disease. Raised prolactin levels were also significantly associated with complications such as hepatic encephalopathy and mortality among the study participants.