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Egyptian Rheumatology and Rehabilitation
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Influence of prolactin and estrogen on disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Egyptian Rheumatology and Rehabilitation volume 45, pages 117–123 (2018)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the role of prolactin and estrogen levels on disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Patients and methods

This study included 60 female patients with SLE, with a mean age of 33.5±13.12 years. It was conducted between November 2014 and October 2015. Disease activity was defined according to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Activity Index; score of at least 6 was considered as an active disease. Prolactin (PRL) and estrogen levels and other serological markers of lupus disease activity, namely, complement 3,4 (C3 and C4), erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) titer were calculated.

Results

Hyperprolactinemia was present in 25.0% of patients, and low estrogen level was present in 33.3% of patients. There was no significant correlation between either of estrogen or prolactin levels and all clinical and laboratory features, except for a significant positive correlation between anti-dsDNA and hyperprolactinemia.

Conclusion

There was no significant correlation between either of PRL or estrogen levels and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Activity Index score. Overall, 80.0% of patients with hyperprolactinemia and 80.0% with low estrogen level had SLE activity. There was a significant difference in the frequency of further indicators of disease activity in SLE such as raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate, raised C-reactive protein, or decrease in complement factors with high serum PRL and low estrogen level.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lecturer of Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Egypt

    Marwa Mahmoud Abdelaziz & Samar H. Goma

  2. Assistant Professor of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Egypt

    Sohair K. Sayed

  3. Assistant Professor of Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Helwan University, Egypt

    Dina H. El-Hammady

  4. Assistant Professor of Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Egypt

    Rania M. Gamal

  5. Assistant professor of Dermatology and Venereology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Egypt

    Doaa Samir Sayed

Authors
  1. Marwa Mahmoud Abdelaziz
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  2. Samar H. Goma
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  3. Sohair K. Sayed
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  4. Dina H. El-Hammady
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Correspondence to Samar H. Goma.

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Abdelaziz, M.M., Goma, S.H., Sayed, S.K. et al. Influence of prolactin and estrogen on disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Egypt Rheumatol Rehabil 45, 117–123 (2018). https://doi.org/10.4103/err.err_18_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/err.err_18_17

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