Šakinienė Sandra, Veličkienė Džilda
Department of Endocrinology, Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas Clinics, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Faculty of Medicine, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Medicine (Baltimore). 2025 Feb 7;104(6):e40585. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000040585.
The most common cause of hyperprolactinemia is prolactinoma. In addition, it is necessary to exclude potential physiological and pharmacological factors as well as health disorders to determine the cause of hyperprolactinemia. However, few studies have linked elevated prolactin (PRL) levels to ovarian cancer (OC). OC cells can ectopically release PRL, which then attaches to PRL receptors (PRLRs) in ovarian tissue and initiates signaling cascades that induce OC carcinogenesis. Therefore, we can consider PRL as a biomarker or tumorigenesis factor for OC. Furthermore, both PRL and PRLRs are potential therapeutic targets. A 50-year-old female presented with complaints of breast enlargement, soreness, and hyperprolactinemia, in addition to advanced OC. Hyperprolactinemia along with advanced high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma. Due to the patient's fear of confined spaces, magnetic resonance imaging of the pituitary gland under general anesthesia was prescribed to rule out pituitary pathology. Magnetic resonance imaging was not performed due to the deterioration of the underlying condition, and the patient died 2.5 years after the diagnosis of OC. Hyperprolactinemia caused by OC is a rare condition for which there is a lack of literature and case studies. PRL produced by OC tissue binds to PRLRs in an autocrine or paracrine manner, initiating signaling cascades that induce OC tumorigenesis. In combination with other biomarkers, PRL may serve as a biomarker for OC. To establish the relation between OC and elevated PRL levels, additional large-scale population studies are required, with diagnostic and treatment procedures coming first.
高催乳素血症最常见的病因是催乳素瘤。此外，有必要排除潜在的生理和药理因素以及健康紊乱情况，以确定高催乳素血症的病因。然而，很少有研究将催乳素（PRL）水平升高与卵巢癌（OC）联系起来。OC细胞可异位释放PRL，然后PRL附着于卵巢组织中的PRL受体（PRLRs）并启动信号级联反应，从而诱导OC致癌。因此，我们可以将PRL视为OC的生物标志物或肿瘤发生因子。此外，PRL和PRLRs都是潜在的治疗靶点。一名50岁女性除了患有晚期OC外，还出现了乳房增大、疼痛和高催乳素血症的症状。高催乳素血症伴晚期高级别浆液性卵巢癌。由于患者害怕密闭空间，因此开了全身麻醉下的垂体磁共振成像检查以排除垂体病变。但由于基础病情恶化未进行磁共振成像检查，该患者在被诊断为OC后2.5年死亡。由OC引起的高催乳素血症是一种罕见病症，目前缺乏相关文献和病例研究。OC组织产生的PRL以自分泌或旁分泌方式与PRLRs结合，启动信号级联反应，诱导OC肿瘤发生。与其他生物标志物结合，PRL可能作为OC的生物标志物。为了确定OC与PRL水平升高之间的关系，需要进行更多大规模的人群研究，首要的是诊断和治疗程序。
