Correlation of Relation of Serum Prolactin Level to Child-Pugh Score in Cirrhosis of Liver in Assessing Disease Severity

Aim: To find the accuracy of prolactin levels and identify the severity and complications.Materials & Methods: This was a cross-sectional study performed in the Department of Medicine at Sri R.L. Jalappa Hospital and Research Centre.Participants: The study involves participants who are diagnosed with liver cirrhosis of age above ۱۸ years. Participants with other health complications were excluded from the study.Interventions: Child pugh scores were compared with serum prolactin levels and the predictive value of serum prolactin was assessed. In the ۶۹ subjects studied mean age was ۵۰.۹۳±۸.۸۴ the study population, with the majority of them being males (۸۵.۵۱%) and females ۱۴.۴۹%. The difference in serum prolactin between Child-Pugh scores was statistically significant (P value - < ۰.۰۰۱).Results: The present study found a significant (P <۰.۰۰۱) higher median prolactin levels in grade ۴ hepatic encephalopathy compared to grade ۳, ۲, and grade ۱ (grade ۴- ۶۶.۰۰(۶۱.۵ to ۷۱.۵), grade ۳- ۴۷.۰۰(۴۲.۰ to ۵۴.۰), grade ۲-۴۳.۰۰(۳۹.۲۵ to ۵۰.۵) and grade ۱-۴۰.۵۰(۳۱.۲۵ to ۴۸.۲۵), whereas in cirrhosis cases without hepatic encephalopathy, we found significantly lesser prolactin levels (median- ۲۷.۰۰(range ۲۵.۰ to ۳۳.۰) compared to cases present with hepatic encephalopathy. The serum prolactin had a sensitivity of ۸۲.۶۱% specificity was ۷۳.۹۱% and diagnostic accuracy was ۷۶.۸۱% in predicting severe child pugh score.Conclusions: There was a higher frequency of cirrhosis complications in patients who had higher blood prolactin levels at admission. Hence, serum prolactin can be considered as a low-cost, biomarker for liver cirrhosis.

Keywords:

Child , Pugh score Liver cirrhosis Serum prolactin