[Circulating molecular forms of prolactin in the normal nursing mother and during tumoral amenorrhea-galactorrhea].

The authors have studied by gel chromatography and radioimmuno assay, the molecular forms of prolactine in the serum of normal lactating women and in serum of three subjects having an hypophyseal tumor. 1. In the normal women, one find two pics of prolactine : one migrating like the monomere (M.W. 20000), and the other as a trimere (M.W. : 60000). There is small amounts of a large molecule migrating in the dead volume of the column. 2. In the patients having a tumor, one find not only the monomere but also a large molecule (M.W. greater than 100000) which is the principal form in the serum. The results are compared with these of the literature.