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Prolactin
minimum sample volume required ~ 5ml
Test Code: PRL
Tube type: SST
Other acceptable tube types
Lithium heparin (pale green)
Special instructions
Please give clinical details including drug history (particularly for anti-psychotic and any other prolactin-inducing medications)
Time limit for add on
3 days post collection.
Action Limit
>700
Units
mIU/L
Turnaround Time
7
days
Department: Biochemistry
Clinical Application
Prolactin measurement is useful in the investigation of amenorrhea, oligomenorrhoea, galactorrhoea/infertility in women, hypogonadism, suspected prolactinoma (pituitary tumour) and impotence, infertility and/or hypogonadism in men.
Raised prolactin may arise from normal pregnancy and lactation, PCOS, drugs: particularly anti-psychotic medication, stress (including due to venepuncture), renal failure, hypothyroidism, exercise, seizures and other pituitary disease.
Rarely, a biologically inactive form of immunoglobulin bound prolactin (Macroprolactin) can interfere in our routine assay and cause falsely raised results. All raised prolactin results are reviewed clinically and an in-house screening test to exclude interference is performed if appropriate. If this interference is present, the bioactive prolactin will not be reported. An interpretative comment will be added as to the likelihood of the monomeric (clinically relevant) prolactin being raised.
Please contact a Biochemist should you wish to discuss prolactin interference studies (x4050).
Webpage updated: May 2025.
