Endocrine Abstracts

Prolactin is present in serum in a variety of forms defined by different molecular masses. Macroprolactin is the best-known variant, a high molecular mass (150–170 kD) form of prolactin usually representing a prolactin–IgG complex which reacts in immunoassays causing apparent hyperprolactinaemia. Big-prolactin is a smaller high molecular mass (50–60 kDa) form of prolactin found more commonly than macroprolactin; however, the origin and significance of big-prolac...