Hyperprolactinemia and macrocytosis in women with alcohol and polysubstance dependence

FRANÇAIS :
L'alcoolisme et la toxicomanie engendrent souvent des perturbations de la fonction de reproduction telles que aménorrhée, anovulation, ménopause précoce.... Chez 18 femmes, 12 alcooliques et 6 polytoxicomanes, dont le profil endocrinien a été étudié, on note les observations suivantes: 60% des femmes en âge de procréer présentent soit une hyperprolactinémie, soit une macrocytose, soit les deux pathologies à la fois. Ainsi, l'évaluation des taux plasmatiques de prolactine et de macrocyte peut être utilisée comme marqueur d'état biologique dans l'alcoolisme et la polytoxicomanie chez la femme.
ENGLISH :
Chronic alcoholism and drug abuse are often associated in women with derangements of reproductive function such as amenorrhea, anovulation, luteal phase dysfunction and early menopause. Endocrine profiles were studied of the first 18 women (aged 17-58) admitted consecutively to a Massachusetts hospital for treatment of alcohol/polysubstance dependence under civil commitment. Twelve women were diagnosed as alcohol dependent according to criteria estabshed in DSM-III-R. Their daily alcohol consumption ranged from 42-324 grams. Six women were diagnosed as polysubstance dependent. In addition to alcohol (84-831-g/day), cocaine was the most frequently abused drug followed by tranquilizers, marijuana and opiates. Over 60% of alcohol dependent women reproductive age had either hyperprolactinemia or macrocytosis (increased mean corspucular volume, MCV), or both. Over 60% of the polysubstance dependent women of reproductive age had either hyperprolactinemia or increased MCV. Over 80% of alcohol dependent women of post-menopausal age had either hyperprolactinemia or increased MCV, or both. We conclude that evaluation of plasma prolactin levels and MCV may be useful as biological state markers for alcoholism and polysubstance abuse in women.(Author's abstract)