Test Catalog

Test Id : PRL

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Prolactin, Serum

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Overview

Test Catalog

Useful For
Suggests clinical disorders or settings where the test may be helpful

Aiding in evaluation of pituitary tumors, amenorrhea, galactorrhea, infertility, and hypogonadism

 

Monitoring therapy of prolactin-producing tumors

Method Name
A short description of the method used to perform the test

Electrochemiluminescence Immunoassay

NY State Available
Indicates the status of NY State approval and if the test is orderable for NY State clients.

Yes

Reporting Name
Lists a shorter or abbreviated version of the Published Name for a test

Prolactin, S

Aliases
Lists additional common names for a test, as an aid in searching

PRL (Prolactin)

Prolactin (PRL)

Specimen Type
Describes the specimen type validated for testing

Serum

Specimen Required
Defines the optimal specimen required to perform the test and the preferred volume to complete testing

Patient Preparation: For 12 hours before specimen collection do not take multivitamins or dietary supplements containing biotin (vitamin B7), which is commonly found in hair, skin, and nail supplements and multivitamins.

Container/Tube:

Preferred: Serum gel

Acceptable: Red top

Submission Container/Tube: Plastic vial

Specimen Volume: 0.6 mL

Collection Instructions: Centrifuge and aliquot serum into a plastic vial.

Forms

If not ordering electronically, complete, print, and send an Oncology Test Request (T729) with the specimen.

Specimen Minimum Volume
Defines the amount of sample necessary to provide a clinically relevant result as determined by the testing laboratory. The minimum volume is sufficient for one attempt at testing.

0.5 mL

Reject Due To
Identifies specimen types and conditions that may cause the specimen to be rejected

Gross hemolysis Reject
Gross lipemia OK
Gross icterus OK

Specimen Stability Information
Provides a description of the temperatures required to transport a specimen to the performing laboratory, alternate acceptable temperatures are also included

Specimen Type Temperature Time Special Container
Serum Refrigerated (preferred) 7 days
Frozen 90 days
Ambient 24 hours

Useful For
Suggests clinical disorders or settings where the test may be helpful

Aiding in evaluation of pituitary tumors, amenorrhea, galactorrhea, infertility, and hypogonadism

 

Monitoring therapy of prolactin-producing tumors

Clinical Information
Discusses physiology, pathophysiology, and general clinical aspects, as they relate to a laboratory test

Prolactin is secreted by the anterior pituitary gland and controlled by the hypothalamus. The major chemical controlling prolactin secretion is dopamine, which inhibits prolactin secretion from the pituitary. Prolactin is released from the pituitary in response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone and other factors.

 

Prolactin is the principal hormone that controls the initiation and maintenance of lactation. In normal individuals, prolactin concentrations increase in response to physiologic stimuli such as sleep, stress, exercise, sexual intercourse, and hypoglycemia, and concentrations are also elevated during pregnancy, lactation, postpartum, and in a newborn infant.

 

Hyperprolactinemia is the most common hypothalamic-pituitary disorder encountered in clinical endocrinology. Pathologic causes of hyperprolactinemia include prolactin-secreting pituitary adenoma (prolactinoma, which is more frequent in females than males and accounts for approximately 40% of all pituitary tumors), functional and organic disease of the hypothalamus, primary hypothyroidism, compression of the pituitary stalk, chest wall lesions, renal insufficiency, polycystic ovarian disease, and ectopic tumors.

 

Hyperprolactinemia often results in loss of libido, galactorrhea, oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea, and infertility in premenopausal females, and loss of libido, impotence, infertility, and hypogonadism in males. Postmenopausal and premenopausal women, as well as men, can also suffer from decreased muscle mass and osteoporosis.

 

Prolactinomas may rarely present in childhood or adolescence. In girls, disturbances in menstrual function and galactorrhea may be seen, whereas in boys, delayed pubertal development and hypogonadism are often present. The treatment options are the same as in adult patients.

Reference Values
Describes reference intervals and additional information for interpretation of test results. May include intervals based on age and sex when appropriate. Intervals are Mayo-derived, unless otherwise designated. If an interpretive report is provided, the reference value field will state this.

Males

<18 years: not established

> or =18 years: 4.0-15.2 ng/mL

 

Females:

<18 years: not established

> or =18 years: 4.8-23.3 ng/mL 

 

For SI unit Reference Values, see https://www.mayocliniclabs.com/order-tests/si-unit-conversion.html

Interpretation
Provides information to assist in interpretation of the test results

In general, serum prolactin concentrations parallel tumor size in patients with prolactinomas. Macroadenomas (>10 mm in diameter) are typically associated with serum prolactin concentrations above 250 ng/mL, and a concentration above 500 ng/mL is diagnostic of a macroprolactinoma. Moderately increased concentrations of serum prolactin are not a reliable guide for determining whether a prolactin-producing pituitary adenoma is present.

 

After initiation of medical therapy of prolactinomas, prolactin levels should decrease substantially in most patients; in 60% to 80% of patients, normal levels should be reached. Failure to suppress prolactin levels may indicate tumors resistant to the usual central-acting dopamine agonist therapies; however, a subset of patients will show tumor shrinkage despite persistent hyperprolactinemia. Patients who show neither a decrease in prolactin levels nor tumor shrinkage might require additional therapeutic measures.

 

In patients where a discrepancy between pituitary tumor size and prolactin elevation is observed, a test for false-low serum prolactin (hook effect) should be performed by serial dilution. See PLPMA / Prolactin, Pituitary Macroadenoma, Serum. This assay should demonstrate no high-dose hook effect at prolactin concentrations up to approximately 12,500 ng/mL.(1)

 

Multiple medications can cause increased prolactin concentration including estrogens, dopamine receptor blockers (eg, phenothiazines), dopamine antagonists (eg, metoclopramide, domperidone), alpha-methyldopa, cimetidine, opiates, antihypertensive medications, and other antidepressants and antipsychotics. 

 

In patients with asymptomatic hyperprolactinemia, assessment for macroprolactin (prolactin bound to immunoglobulin) is suggested. Macroprolactin is detected by differing degrees depending on the immunoassay used to measure prolactin. This assay shows low reactivity with most forms of macroprolactin. Macroprolactin should be evaluated in asymptomatic hyperprolactinemic subjects or when pituitary imaging studies are not informative. See MCRPL / Macroprolactin, Serum.

Cautions
Discusses conditions that may cause diagnostic confusion, including improper specimen collection and handling, inappropriate test selection, and interfering substances

Serum prolactin measurements are not recommended during pregnancy in patients with prolactinomas. The test results are uninterpretable in this setting and may lead to unnecessary testing triggered by higher than normal prolactin levels.

 

For assays employing antibodies, the possibility exists for interference by human antianimal antibodies (ie, heterophile antibodies) in the patient sample. Patients who have been regularly exposed to animals or have received immunotherapy or diagnostic procedures utilizing immunoglobulins or immunoglobulin fragments may produce antibodies, (eg, HAMA), that interfere with immunoassays. This may falsely elevate or falsely decrease the results.

 

Interference due to extremely high titers of antibodies to analyte-specific antibodies, streptavidin or ruthenium can occur.

Clinical Reference
Recommendations for in-depth reading of a clinical nature

1. Package insert: Roche E170/cobas e601/e602 Prolactin II. Roche Diagnostics; 01/2019

2. Demers LM, Vance ML: Pituitary function. In: Burtis CA, Ashwood ER, Bruns DE, eds.Tietz Textbook of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics. 4th ed. Elsevier Saunders Co; 2006:1976-1981

3. Schoft C, Schofl-Siegert B, Hinrich Karstens J, et al: Falsely low serum prolactin in two cases of invasive macroprolactinoma. Pituitary. 2002;5:261-265

4. Casaneuva FF, Molitch ME, Schlecte JA, et al: Guidelines of the Pituitary Society for the diagnosis and management of prolactinomas. Clin Endocrinol. 2006;65:265-273

5. Melmed S, Casanueva FF, Hoffman AR, et al: Diagnosis and treatment of hyperprolactinemia: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011 Feb;96(2):273-288

Method Description
Describes how the test is performed and provides a method-specific reference

The Prolactin II method employs 2 monoclonal antibodies specifically directed against prolactin. A biotinylated monoclonal antibody and a second monoclonal antibody labeled with a ruthenium complex react with prolactin in the sample to form a sandwich complex. After the addition of streptavidin-coated microparticles, the complex becomes bound to the solid phase via interaction of biotin and streptavidin. Application of a voltage to the electrode then induces chemiluminescent emission, which is measured.(Package insert: Elecsys Prolactin II. Roche Diagnostics; 01/2019)

PDF Report
Indicates whether the report includes an additional document with charts, images or other enriched information

No

Day(s) Performed
Outlines the days the test is performed. This field reflects the day that the sample must be in the testing laboratory to begin the testing process and includes any specimen preparation and processing time before the test is performed. Some tests are listed as continuously performed, which means that assays are performed multiple times during the day.

Monday through Sunday

Report Available
The interval of time (receipt of sample at Mayo Clinic Laboratories to results available) taking into account standard setup days and weekends. The first day is the time that it typically takes for a result to be available. The last day is the time it might take, accounting for any necessary repeated testing.

Same day/1 to 2 days

Specimen Retention Time
Outlines the length of time after testing that a specimen is kept in the laboratory before it is discarded

7 days

Performing Laboratory Location
Indicates the location of the laboratory that performs the test

Rochester

Fees :
Several factors determine the fee charged to perform a test. Contact your U.S. or International Regional Manager for information about establishing a fee schedule or to learn more about resources to optimize test selection.

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  • Prospective clients should contact their account representative. For assistance, contact Customer Service.

Test Classification
Provides information regarding the medical device classification for laboratory test kits and reagents. Tests may be classified as cleared or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and used per manufacturer instructions, or as products that do not undergo full FDA review and approval, and are then labeled as an Analyte Specific Reagent (ASR) product.

This test has been cleared, approved, or is exempt by the US Food and Drug Administration and is used per manufacturer's instructions. Performance characteristics were verified by Mayo Clinic in a manner consistent with CLIA requirements.

CPT Code Information
Provides guidance in determining the appropriate Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code(s) information for each test or profile. The listed CPT codes reflect Mayo Clinic Laboratories interpretation of CPT coding requirements. It is the responsibility of each laboratory to determine correct CPT codes to use for billing.

CPT codes are provided by the performing laboratory.

84146 

LOINC® Information
Provides guidance in determining the Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) values for the order and results codes of this test. LOINC values are provided by the performing laboratory.

Test Id Test Order Name Order LOINC Value
PRL Prolactin, S 20568-2
Result Id Test Result Name Result LOINC Value
Applies only to results expressed in units of measure originally reported by the performing laboratory. These values do not apply to results that are converted to other units of measure.
PRL Prolactin, S 20568-2

Test Setup Resources

Setup Files
Test setup information contains test file definition details to support order and result interfacing between Mayo Clinic Laboratories and your Laboratory Information System.

Excel | Pdf

Sample Reports
Normal and Abnormal sample reports are provided as references for report appearance.

Normal Reports | Abnormal Reports

SI Sample Reports
International System (SI) of Unit reports are provided for a limited number of tests. These reports are intended for international account use and are only available through MayoLINK accounts that have been defined to receive them.

SI Normal Reports | SI Abnormal Reports