title: Prolactin concentrations in newly diagnosed, antipsychotic-naïve patients with nonaffective psychosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies have found increased prolactin concentrations in antipsychotic-naïve patients with schizophrenia. However, the roles of other hormones, and of potentially confounding variables such as gender and smoking, have not been considered.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood from newly diagnosed, antipsychotic-naïve patients with nonaffective psychosis (13 women and 20 men) and matched controls (12 women and 21 men) was assayed for prolactin, as well as three other hormones that impact prolactin concentrations: thyrotropin-stimulating hormone (TSH), ghrelin, and cortisol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients had significantly higher prolactin concentrations: female patients had a mean [SD] of 37.1 ng/mL [24.9] vs. 13.5 ng/mL [7.2] for female control subjects (p=.001), while male patients had a mean of 15.3 ng/mL [9.5] vs. 7.6 ng/mL [2.2] for male control subjects (p=.006). Patients and control subjects did not differ on concentrations of TSH, ghrelin, or cortisol. The group differences could not be attributed to differences in age, gender, smoking, body mass index, ethnicity, or the socioeconomic status of the family of origin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased prolactin concentrations in antipsychotic-naïve patients do not appear to be due to important confounding variables, or to the effects of elevated TSH, ghrelin, or cortisol.
authors.affiliation: Schizophrenia Program, Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience Institute, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Clemente
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garcia-Rizo
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Egea
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Azucena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Justicia
authors.forename: Eduard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Parellada
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bernardo
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kirkpatrick
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D006966:Hyperprolactinemia / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000097:blood; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D011388:Prolactin; D013972:Thyrotropin; D006854:Hydrocortisone