LACTATE DEHYDROGENASE. • Cytoplasmic enzyme present in tissues throughout the body. • Oxidoreductase, enzyme of the anaerobic metabolic pathway. • Heart, muscle, kidney, lung, and RBC’s have the highest concentration. • Upon tissue damage, the cells release LDH in the bloodstream. • Drugs that can increase LDH include alcohol, aspirin, fluorides, narcotics, anesthetics, clofibrate, mithramycin, and procainamide. • Cancer cells employ LDH to increase their aerobic metabolism (glycolysis, ATP production, & lactate production): Warburg effect. • CSF LDH increases in bacterial meningitis (normal in viral meningitis). • Cancer cells undergo LDH mediated energy production to fulfill the demand for fast cellular growth (marker of metastases, prognosis, survival rates., and radiosensitivity). • LDH serves as a general indicator of acute and chronic diseases. • LDH helps in distinguishing exudate from transudate effusions. • Isozymes, named LDH-1 through LDH-5, have differential expression in different tissues. #Lactatedehydrogenase #LDH #lactate #enzyme #Oxidoreductase
