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25 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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PRL
prolactin
Chromosome 6 · 6p22.3
NCBI Gene: 5617Ensembl: ENSG00000172179.13HGNC: HGNC:9445UniProt: P01236
344PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Hub Gene
RESEARCH IMPACT
Highly Studied
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
negative regulation of endothelial cell proliferationprotein bindingprolactin signaling pathwaypositive regulation of canonical NF-kappaB signal transductionAL amyloidosishypertensionbasal cell carcinomainflammatory bowel disease
✦AI Summary

Prolactin (PRL) is a versatile pleiotropic hormone produced by the anterior pituitary and multiple extrapituitary sites including immune cells 1. While recognized primarily for initiating lactation in females 2, PRL functions as both a hormone and cytokine with widespread physiological effects. PRL signals through prolactin receptors (PRL-R) distributed throughout the immune system via JAK-STAT pathway activation 1, particularly involving JAK2, Stat1, and Stat5 1. Beyond reproduction, PRL modulates immune function by stimulating B and T lymphocyte proliferation 3 and regulating cutaneous functions including keratin expression and hair growth 4. Clinically, elevated PRL levels are implicated in autoimmune diseases, particularly systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), where mild-to-moderate hyperprolactinemia occurs in 20-30% of patients and correlates with active disease and lupus nephritis 1. PRL also functions as a risk factor for breast and prostate cancer 5. The hormone's autocrine and paracrine activities from locally produced PRL in target tissues suggest potential roles in pathophysiology, making PRL receptor antagonists promising therapeutic targets for conditions where local PRL may promote disease 6. Dopamine agonists that suppress PRL have demonstrated efficacy in treating autoimmune disorders 3.

Sources cited
1
PRL produced by pituitary and extrapituitary sites; functions as cytokine; JAK2/Stat1/Stat5 signaling; 20-30% SLE patients have hyperprolactinemia associated with active disease and lupus nephritis
PMID: 12848992
2
Principal physiologic effect of PRL in human females is initiation of lactation
PMID: 6994965
3
PRL is immunomodulator; immune cells express PRL receptors and produce PRL; stimulates B and T lymphocyte proliferation; excess associated with autoimmune diseases; dopamine agonists efficacious for autoimmune treatment
PMID: 28245452
4
PRL is pleiotropic hormone; expressed in skin and hair follicles; regulates keratin expression and hair growth; may play role in sebaceous gland biology
PMID: 29582473
5
PRL is risk factor for breast and prostate cancer; PRLR polymorphisms in breast tumor patients
PMID: 25055559
6
PRL produced by target tissues via autocrine/paracrine activity; PRL receptor antagonists needed to analyze local effects and pathophysiology
PMID: 9867245
Disease Associationsⓘ20
AL amyloidosisOpen Targets
0.46Moderate
hypertensionOpen Targets
0.32Weak
basal cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.31Weak
inflammatory bowel diseaseOpen Targets
0.29Weak
essential hypertensionOpen Targets
0.28Weak
Increased blood pressureOpen Targets
0.27Weak
ulcerative colitisOpen Targets
0.27Weak
intelligenceOpen Targets
0.26Weak
liver diseaseOpen Targets
0.26Weak
skin cancerOpen Targets
0.26Weak
hypertrophic cardiomyopathyOpen Targets
0.26Weak
cardiovascular diseaseOpen Targets
0.25Weak
mouth diseaseOpen Targets
0.24Weak
polypOpen Targets
0.24Weak
non-melanoma skin carcinomaOpen Targets
0.24Weak
head and neck malignant neoplasiaOpen Targets
0.23Weak
prostate carcinomaOpen Targets
0.22Weak
skin neoplasmOpen Targets
0.21Weak
celiac diseaseOpen Targets
0.21Weak
ThrombocytopeniaOpen Targets
0.20Weak
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
JAK2Protein interaction100%SEC61GProtein interaction100%STAT5AProtein interaction99%STAT5BProtein interaction97%THPOProtein interaction97%JAK1Protein interaction97%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Liver
100%
Ovary
61%
Lung
27%
Brain
0%
Heart
0%
Bone Marrow
0%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
PRLJAK2SEC61GSTAT5ASTAT5BTHPOJAK1
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB3N06 · 2.00 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.44LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF1.03 [0.75–1.44]
RankingsWhere PRL stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #930of 20,598
    Most Researched344 · top 5%
  • #14,770of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.44
Genes detectedPRL
Sources retrieved25 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
25▼
1
Prolactin and autoimmunity.
PMID: 12848992
Autoimmun Rev · 2002
1.00
2
[Prolactin and serotonin].
PMID: 25055559
Vestn Ross Akad Med Nauk · 2014
0.90
3
Prolactin receptor antagonists.
PMID: 9867245
Endocrine · 1998
0.80
4
Expression and prognostic value of PRL-3 in human intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.
PMID: 19757198
Pathol Oncol Res · 2010
0.72
5
Prolactin as a candidate sebotrop(h)ic hormone?
PMID: 29582473
Exp Dermatol · 2018
0.70