Clinical Information

Pregnancy, lactation, and the administration of oral contraceptives can increase prolactin concentrations. Serum prolactin measurements are not recommended during pregnancy in patients with prolactinomas. The test results are uninterpretable in this setting and may lead to unnecessary testing triggered by higher than normal prolactin levels. For assays employing antibodies, the possibility exists for interference by human anti-animal antibodies (i.e., heterophile antibodies) in the patient sample. Patients who have been regularly exposed to animals or have received immunotherapy or diagnostic procedures utilizing immunoglobulins or immunoglobulin fragments may produce antibodies, (eg, HAMA), that interfere with immunoassays. This may falsely elevate or falsely decrease the results.