- Cytoplasmic enzymes 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.
