Patterns of spontaneous LH release in normo- and hyperprolactinaemic women

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Abstract
Hyperprolactinemia may be associated with functional amenorrhea. To evaluate the possible role of abnormal spontaneous LH [luteinizing hormone] secretion in hyperprolactinemic amenorrheic women, plasma LH was measured at 15-min intervals for 300 min in 12 normal women during the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, and compared to that observed in 11 hyperprolactinemic amenorrheic subjects. Mean plasma prolactin was 9.1 .+-. 3.6 ng/ml (.hivin.x [mean] .+-. SEM [standard error of the mean]) in the euprolactinemic and 168 .+-. 32 ng/ml in the hyperprolactinemic group. Sex steroids including estrone, estradiol, progesterone and 17-hydroxyprogesterone were similar in the 2 groups. Mean plasma LH levels over the 300-min sampling period were 9.4 .+-. 1.6 mIU/ml in the normal subjects and 7.5 .+-. 1.0 mIU/ml in the hyperprolactinemic patients (P > 0.10). Every normal woman exhibited at least 1 LH spike in excess of 10 mIU/ml. Five hyperprolactinemic patients failed to exhibit any LH spikes above 10 mIU/ml (P < 0.02 compared to controls). Hyperprolactinemia was associated with an absence of LH spike activity in 45% of patients studied and this abnormality may play an etiologic role in the hypogonadism observed in these subjects; in those hyperprolactinemic subjects with pulsatile LH secretion other explanations for their amenorrhea should be considered.

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