TITLE:
Gender Differences in Serum Prolactin Levels in Drug Naïve First Episode Schizophrenia
AUTHORS:
Amresh Shrivastava, Nilesh Shah, Avinash De Sousa, Sushma Sonavane
KEYWORDS:
Psychoendocrinology, Hyperprolactinemia, Dopaminergic System, Prolactin
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Psychiatry,
Vol.5 No.2,
March
27,
2015
ABSTRACT: Objective: To determine if
there is a significant rise in serum prolactin (PRL) in acute psychosis related
to disease process and weather there is a significant gender difference in the
level of PRL and its correlation psychopathology. Procedure: Naturalistic study
involved 60 consenting outpatients and inpatients in a tertiary psychiatric
setting. Patient base was comprised of men (n= 30) and women (n= 30) with 83% in the age range of 21
- 40 years old. All subjects had confirmed first episode diagnosis set forth by
the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Patients were drug
free and drug na?ve. Standardization for control was done using 15 control PRL
samples obtained from healthy individuals. Methodology involved assessment by
radioimmunoassay, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and the Positive and
Negative Syndrome Scale at day 1, 3 weeks and again at 6 weeks. All patients
were treated with atypical antipsychotic drugs. Results: Serum PRL was elevated
on baseline in 75% of first episode psychosis schizophrenia, yet found to have
a negative correlation to psychopathology at base week 3 and week 6 samples.
Conclusions: Elevated serum PRL is not a potential indicator of acute
schizophrenia. Levels are higher in females than in males, yet females respond
better to treatment at a lower dose than males.