Autoimmune thyroid disease—is high prolactin a risk factor?
BMC Endocrine Disorders, cilt.26, sa.1, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 26 Sayı: 1
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1186/s12902-026-02313-y
- Dergi Adı: BMC Endocrine Disorders
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Directory of Open Access Journals, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Autoimmune thyroid disease, Prolactin, Antibodies to thyroglobulin, Thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO)
- Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Background: In addition to its classic effect of lactation, prolactin (PRL) has begun to attract attention for its non-classic effects, particularly on the immune system. Objective: This study aimed to compare the prevalence of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), thyroid autoantibodies, and thyroid function tests (TFTs) in patients with hyperprolactinemia (HPRL) of at least 25 ng/ml and in healthy controls with PRL of less than 25 ng/ml. We conducted a retrospective case-control study at a single tertiary referral center. All study participants underwent measurement of antibodies to thyroglobulin (anti-Tg), thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO), TSH, and fT4 levels, as well as ultrasonographic thyroid pattern assessment. Results: The AITD rate was found to be 33.5% in those with PRL ≥ 25. In the healthy control group, this rate was 23.5%, and this difference was statistically significant (p = 0.006). Among those with PRL ≥ 25, anti-TPO and anti-Tg levels, as well as TSH levels, were significantly higher, and sT4 levels were significantly lower compared to the control group (p < 0.001). There was a positive relationship between PRL levels and TSH, anti-Tg, and anti-TPO levels, while there was a negative relationship with sT4 levels, all of which were statistically significant but relatively weak. The ROC analysis revealed that the PRL level was 21.77 ng/mL for detecting anti-TPO positivity and anti-Tg positivity; the cut-off value was determined to be 21.92 ng/mL. Conclusions: There is an increase in the frequency of AITD and thyroid autoantibodies in HPRL patients. We can conclude that exceeding the PRL threshold value increases the risk. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.