SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS, FEMALE OF FERTILE AGE

CHANGES IN REPRODUCTIVE HORMONES ESTROGEN AND PROLACTIN LEVELS

Abstract

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an important autoimmune disease and occurs when the body is mistakenly attacked by its own immune system. Prolactin acts as a cytokine and plays an important role in human immune response including autoimmune diseases. SLE is an immune complex mediated disease and is more common during pregnancy. Objective: Research is designed to analyze the level of serum prolactin in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus and compared with estrogen in female of fertile age. Study Design: Observational Period: Setting: Study was carried out in the Department of Biochemistry, BMSI, in collaboration of ward-6 JPMC Karachi. Material and methods: Thirty five diagnosed cases of SLE and in addition 35 normal healthy controls from general population were included in the study. Serum levels of prolactin, estrogen, RA factor and ESR were estimated and correlated. Statistical analysis: The data was analyzed by using SPSS version 17. The student t-test & chi-square test was used the p-value <0.05 consider significant. Results: The results showed that patients suffering from SLE have highly significant (p<0.001) serum level of reproductive hormones prolactin and estrogen, in addition, significant changes in ESR indicate the infection when compared with control. Further, prolactin was negatively correlated with estrogen as well as with menarche while BMI have positively correlation with estrogen regardless of prolactin and menarche. Conclusions: Enhanced serum prolactin and estrogen changes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), may be used as a prognostic tool for autoimmune diseases.