Table 1

Serum prolactin values in patients with SLE, RA, and in healthy controls (in three successively taken samples)

			Serum prolactin (mIU/l)
	Serum prolactin level (mIU/l)	No of observations		1st Sample	2nd Sample	3rd Sample	Difference between 1st and 3rd sample (p value)
Q₃− Q₁, 75th quartile − 25th quartile.
SLE (n=79)	Raised	29	Mean	700.72	618.79	572.17	< 0.001
	Men 200–750		SD	420.13	386.42	378.29
	Women 450–1000		95% CI	540 to 860	471 to 765	428 to 716
			Q₃ − Q₁	442	350	268
	Normal	50	Mean	293.12	271.28	246.71	< 0.001
			SD	144.39	124.08	108.62
			95% CI	252 to 334	236 to 306	215 to 277
			Q₃− Q₁	141	181	171
RA (n=23)	Raised	8	Mean	516.13	417.00	370.75	0.08 NS
	Men 200–750		SD	423.30	352.01	236.02
	Women 450–1000		95% CI	162 to 870	122 to 711	173 to 568
			Q₃− Q₁	132	155	179
	Normal	15	Mean	227.93	206.33	191.00	<0.007
			SD	134.96	131.27	109.05
			95% CI	153 to 302	133 to 279	130 to 251
			Q₃− Q₁	126	78	55
Healthy (n=28)	Raised	5	Mean	315.80	280.80	266.60	0.22 NS
	Men 200–750		SD	84.45	46.48	93.18
	Women 450–1000		95% CI	210 to 420	223 to 338	150 to 382
			Q₃− Q₁	152	79	16
	Normal	23	Mean	166.43	163.96	163.61	0.75 NS
			SD	59.92	59.248	63.00
			95% CI	141 to 191	138 to 189	136 to 190
			Q₃− Q₁	93	92	83