Prolactin and Autoimmunity

Abstract

Communication between the immune and endocrine systems is bidirectional. A number of reports have demonstrated that hormones may have profound effects on the immune system. Increasing evidence suggests that prolactin (PRL), a polypeptide hormone of anterior pituitary origin, has important immunoregulatory properties and may play a role in the pathogenesis and disease expression of certain autoimmune diseases. PRL stimulates the proliferation of immunocompetent cells and modulate humoral and cellular immune functions. This chapter reviews the recent exploration of the role of PRL in immune function, autoimmunity, and autoimmune diseases. PRL may play a role in the regulation of both humoral and cell-mediated responses. It stimulates ornithine decarboxylase and activates protein kinase C, which are pivotal enzymes in the differentiation, proliferation, and function of lymphocytes. It is comitogenic with concanavalin-A on peripheral lymphocytes in vitro, induces the formation of IL-2 cell-surface receptor, and modulates the induction of various growth-related genes.