Prolactin changes in major depressive disorders

We assessed basal prolactin levels in a group of depressed patients during illness and after recovery and found a small but significant increase in basal prolactin after recovery. However, even though there was a significant difference in prolactin levels during illness and after recovery, at both of these times prolactin levels remained within normal range. In the male patients prolactin levels ranged from 3.3 ng/ml to 11.2 ng/ml; in the female patients prolactin levels ranged from 4.6 ng/ml to 20.0 ng/ml (except for 1 female patient who had a prolactin value of 36.2 ng/ml during illness after the initial insertion of the cannula, which was most likely a transient stress response).