Review Article

Macroprolactinemia: Diagnostic, Clinical, and Pathogenic Significance

Figure 1

Macroprolactinemia, IgG-bound PRL, and anti-PRL autoantibodies. Macroprolactinemia is a heterogeneous condition with different etiologies; 87% of macroprolactin was PRL-IgG complex and 67% of macroprolactin was autoantibody-bound PRL [15]. Although anti-PRL autoantibody-bound PRL is a major form of PRL-IgG complex and PRL-IgG complex is a major form of macroprolactin, there may be PRL-IgG complex other than autoantibodies and macroprolactin other than PRL-IgG complex as shown in grey area. The diagnosis of macroprolactinemia is made based on the results of PEG-precipitation method or gel filtration chromatography, IgG-bound PRL by protein A or protein G column method, and anti-PRL autoantibody-bound PRL by 125I-PRL binding study.
167132.fig.001