Pituitary hormones in women with chronic renal failure: the effect of chronic intermittent haemo- and peritoneal dialysis.

Measurements of plasma prolactin (hPr), growth hormone (HGH), thyrotrophin (TSH), luteinizing (LH)--and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) were performed in 20 women with chronic renal failure on regular dialysis. There was no significant difference in any of the hormone levels before and after the dialysis and no significant influence of the type of dialysis (haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis) or the time of dialysis. Higher levels of plasma prolactin was found in the women on peritoneal dialysis than in the haemodialyzed women presumably due to the medical treatment. In the peritoneally dialyzed group four women had irregular menstruations and normal gonadotrophic levels, but elevated hPr and it is suggested that this finding is similar to that seen in the amenorrhoeagalactorrhoea syndrome, where hPr presumably in some way have antigonadotrophic actions at the gonadal level.