title: Hyperprolactinemia induced by low-dosage amisulpride in Korean psychiatric patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Amisulpride at low dosages enhances dopaminergic neurotransmission by preferentially blocking presynaptic D2/D3 receptors. Thus, low dosages of amisulpride are expected not to increase prolactin levels. The aim of this study was to examine whether low dosages of amisulpride can increase serum levels of prolactin or not clinically in Korean patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum prolactin levels were measured in 20 Korean patients (12 men and eight women) with various diagnoses who were treated with less than 300 mg of amisulpride per day.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean dosage of amisulpride was 195.0 ± 51.0 mg/day, and serum level of prolactin was 76.1 ± 43.4 ng/mL. The prolactin level was significantly higher in women (110.7 ± 49.3 ng/mL) than in men (53.1 ± 15.9 ng/mL) after administering amisulpride (P = 0.021), while the dosage of amisulpride did not differ significantly between men (200.0 ± 42.6 mg/day) and women (187.5 ± 64.1 mg/day) (P = 0.576).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The low dosages of amisulpride elevate serum prolactin level in the majority of patients. This finding indicates that the dose-reduction of amisulpride has little effect to relieve amisulpride-induced hyperprolactinemia at therapeutic dosages. Clinicians should monitor serum prolactin level even when low dosages of amisulpride are administered.
authors.affiliation: KARF Hospital, The Korean Alcohol Research Foundation, Goyang, South Korea.
authors.forename: Bun-Hee
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seung-Gul
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Tae-Woo
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Heon-Jeong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ho-Kyoung
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Young-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000077582:Amisulpride; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006966:Hyperprolactinemia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D056910:Republic of Korea; D013469:Sulpiride / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D013469:Sulpiride; D000077582:Amisulpride