Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the circulating levels of sex hormones and prolactin in patients with psoriasis in comparison with healthy controls and sought to determine the correlation between the levels of these hormones and the severity of the disease. Methods: Levels of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and prolactin (PRL) were measured in 40 patients with psoriasis and 20 healthy controls. Results: It was observed that patients with psoriasis had higher serum levels of FSH and LH and lower levels of testosterone and estrogen compared to healthy controls, although this difference was not statistically significant. There were no differences in progesterone levels between the 2 groups evaluated. However, serum prolactin levels were significantly higher among patients with psoriasis when compared to healthy controls. In addition, a statistically significant positive correlation was found between prolactin and PASI (Psoriasis Area Severity Index). Conclusion: In this sense, it is inferred that prolactin may play a role in the etiopathogenesis of psoriasis. However, long-term follow-up studies are needed to validate the importance of these associations.