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The relationship between prolactin (PRL), leptin, nitric oxide (NO), and cytokines in patients with hyperprolactinemia

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Abstract

Leptin is a key mediator in the maintenance of neuroendocrine homeostasis. The aim of this study was to determine the changes in serum leptin, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), nitric oxide (NO) levels in patients with hyperprolactinemia. The study consists of 16 consecutive patients with high prolactin (PRL) levels (group I) and a control group of 11 normoprolactinemic patients (group II). Pituitary tumor tissues of patients in groups I and II were analyzed for immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of prolactin and leptin. Group I has significantly higher levels of leptin than group II (P < 0.001). There is a strong correlation between PRL and leptin concentrations in group I. However, there were no statistically significant differences for NO, TNF-α, IL-6 between the two groups. IHC staining showed that there was strong immunoreactivity for leptin protein in PRL-secreting pituitary adenomas. Double immunostaining of adenoma tissues with PRL and leptin showed that the adenoma cells expressed both. These findings together are suggestive that leptin co-secretion from a prolactinoma may be the cause of increased serum leptin concentration, independently from the peripheral action of prolactin.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty, Fikret Biyal Central Research Laboratory, Istanbul University, Istanbul, 34300, Turkey

    Huriye Balci & Murat Bolayirli

  2. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Kadriye Akgun-Dar & Aysegul Kapucu

  3. Department of Neurosurgery, Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Nurperi Gazioglu

  4. Department of Pathology, Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Buge Oz

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  1. Huriye Balci
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  2. Kadriye Akgun-Dar
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  3. Nurperi Gazioglu
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  4. Aysegul Kapucu
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  5. Murat Bolayirli
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  6. Buge Oz
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Correspondence to Huriye Balci.

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Balci, H., Akgun-Dar, K., Gazioglu, N. et al. The relationship between prolactin (PRL), leptin, nitric oxide (NO), and cytokines in patients with hyperprolactinemia. Pituitary 12, 170–176 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11102-008-0140-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11102-008-0140-4

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