Hyperprolactinemia in hepatic encephalopathy may result from impaired central dopaminergic neurotransmission

Biochemical diagnosis in prolactinomas: some caveats

Prolactinomas are the most frequently seen pituitary adenomas in clinical practice. A correct biochemical diagnosis of hyperprolactinemia is a prerequisite for further investigation but may be hampered by analytical difficulties as well as a large number of potentially overlapping conditions associated with increased prolactin levels. Suspicion should rise in patients whose symptoms and biochemical results do not match. Assay problems, macroprolactinemia, and high-dose hook effect are discussed as possible reasons for false positive or false negative prolactin levels. Physiological and pathological causes of hyperprolactinemia and their implications for interpreting prolactin results are reviewed.

Hepatic encephalopathy 2018: A clinical practice guideline by the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver (AISF)

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a common, worrisome and sometimes difficult to manage complication of end-stage liver disease. HE is often recurrent, requiring multiple hospital admissions. It can have serious implications in terms of a patient's ability to perform complex tasks (for example driving), their earning capacity, their social and family roles. This guideline reviews current knowledge on HE definition, pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment, both by general principles and by way of a summary of available drugs and treatment strategies. The quality of the published, pertinent evidence is graded, and practical recommendations are made. Where possible, these are placed within the Italian health service context, with reference to local diagnosis and management experience.

Serum prolactin in patients with liver disease in comparison with healthy adults: A preliminary cross-sectional study

Introduction:

Studies from the west have shown raised prolactin levels in patients with liver disease. Considering the lacunae on Indian context, we conducted the present study with an objective to assess the prolactin levels in patients with cirrhosis and viral hepatitis with or without features of encephalopathy. The data presented here are the results of the preliminary analysis.

Materials and Methods:

The present study was a prospective, cohort study among patients diagnosed as either viral hepatitis or cirrhosis liver. A cohort of normal healthy adults was selected based on history and laboratory investigations (complete blood count, liver and renal function tests). Serum prolactin was measured for all the study participants, and Kruskal–Wallis H-test with post-hoc Dunn's test was used to analyze the significance of the differences in the levels between various groups. Tests of diagnostic accuracy were used to assess the prediction capability of serum prolactin with a cut-off level of 50 ng/ml.

Results:

A total of 70 patients (10 - normal healthy; 25 - acute viral hepatitis; 35 - cirrhosis liver) were recruited in the present study with the median (range) age in years of 56 (34–68) and male: female ratio of 2:1. A statistically significant (P < 0.05) increase in the serum prolactin was observed in patients with cirrhosis with or without encephalopathy. But, among the patients with viral hepatitis, a significant elevation was observed only in patients with encephalopathy. Additionally, a statistically significant association was observed between serum prolactin levels with serum bilirubin (ρ =0.67, P = 0.04) and aspartate aminotransferase (ρ =0.72, P = 0.05). A cut-off value of 50 ng/ml of serum prolactin was found to predict the mortality. A total of 4/12 (33.3%) with prolactin value of <50 ng/ml died while 11/23 (47.8%) died with values >50 ng/ml (P < 0.05). Similarly, in patients with viral hepatitis with encephalopathy features, 1/4 (25%) with prolactin value of <50 ng/ml died while among those without any such features (n = 21), 9 (42.9%) died (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:

Serum prolactin has a significant association with patients with liver disease and predicts mortality.

Male hypogonadism in cirrhosis and after liver transplantation

Liver is deeply involved in the metabolism of proteins, hormones, enzymes, cytokines, as well as in sex hormones catabolism. Gonadal function requires a normal liver function, and it is well known that clinical signs of hypogonadism are common in patients with liver cirrhosis. Few studies have focused on hypothalamic- pituitary-gonadal alterations in male cirrhotic patients or after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). The pathogenesis of hypogonadism in cirrhotic patients is complex and not well explained. It involves both a gonadal and a hypothalamic- pituitary dysfunction. After OLT the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal function partially improves, showing that the hepatic dysfunction before OLT is deeply involved in its pathogenesis. After OLT some alterations persist in some patients, both because of pre-existing gonadal alterations (toxic-metabolic damage) and immunosuppressive pharmacological side effects. Further studies will explain the relationship between hypogonadism and OLT outcome, and the role of androgen therapy in hypogonadism after OLT, in the early months and in the long term.

Serum prolactin in neonates with seizures

We studied serum prolactin (PRL) in 28 newborn infants with acute encephalopathy. Six patients had electrographically confirmed seizures. Twenty-two patients comprised the nonictal group. In the seizure group, PRL was determined at the first onset of the seizure (baseline) and at 15 and 30 min postictal. In the nonseizure group, PRL was determined at the end of the EEG and 15 min later. EEGs were visually analyzed for the presence of seizures and background abnormality (normal or mildly, moderately, or markedly abnormal). Etiologic diagnoses included congenital heart disease (12), hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (4), sepsis (4), respiratory distress syndrome (5) meconium aspiration (1), and metabolic disease (2). Serum PRL was significantly higher (p < 0.05) at baseline and 15 min postictally in the patients with seizures than in the nonictal group. However, PRL levels 15 and 30 min postictally were not statistically different from baseline values. Baseline PRL correlated significantly (p < 0.001) with EEG background abnormality in both groups; therefore, patients with the most abnormal EEG backgrounds had higher levels of PRL than those with a relatively normal EEG background. We conclude that newborns with EEG-confirmed seizures, particularly if seizures are not associated with clinical signs, have high baseline serum PRL levels that do not increase significantly in the immediate postictal period. Serum PRL levels correlate with the severity of the brain insult as evaluated by EEG background. Further studies are needed to enhance our understanding of the dynamics of PRL secretion in newborns with seizures and acute encephalopathy.