Objective: To estimate the prevalence and evaluate the clinical significance of hyperprolactinemia in a cohort of 82 consecutively reviewed patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Methods: Basal prolactin levels and clinical data were analyzed in 82 consecutive patients with SLE, and longitudinal studies were carried out in 30/82 patients.
Results: Hyperprolactinemia was not associated with active disease in the group as a whole (p = 0.145) or in longitudinal studies in 30 patients (p = 0.294). However, SLE was more often active in patients with hyperprolactinemia without any obvious causes (8/9 samples) compared with patients with known secondary causes for hyperprolactinemia (p = 0.088).
Conclusion: Hyperprolactinemia is likely not associated with disease activity in SLE.