Lactate Dehydrogenase LDH
Also known as: LDH
This test is ordered by the doctor to help in detecting conditions causing tissue damage like blood or liver disease. It also aids in monitoring the progress of damage, to help stage or determine prognosis, to help elevate body fluid, and to identify response to treatment of certain kinds of cancers.
The test is ordered alongside other tests usually. The doctor orders it when he or she suspects that you may have a chronic or acute condition that is leading to tissue damage or causing the destruction of cells. It may also be ordered if you are someone who has been diagnosed with cancer, is showing signs of meningitis, or has fluid accumulation in specific parts of your body.
There are different kinds of samples that can be drawn for the test. In some cases, a blood sample is drawn by inserting a needle into the vein of the arm. Sometimes, body fluid may need to be collected, so special procedures may be performed to obtain fluid from the body, such as using a spinal tap to obtain cerebrospinal fluid from the body. Other types of fluids may also be collected, like peritoneal fluid or pleural fluid.
There is no special preparation needed for the test.
Lactate dehydrogenase is an enzyme that is a critical component in energy production. It is prevalent in all of the body’s cells, with higher concentrations in the heart, liver, muscles, lungs, kidneys, and blood cells. This test examines the levels of the enzyme in the blood and other fluids. LD is present in the blood in small amounts. It is released from the cells into the serum of the blood when cells are destroyed. LD in the blood is a nonspecific marker of tissue damage in the body. However, it can not be used by itself to identify the root cause of damage. It can be used in conjunction with other blood tests to evaluate and monitor conditions that lead to damage to the tissues. LD is also found in the fluid where there is injury, inflammation, and infection(Septicemia). The level of LD present in the fluid helps in determining the cause of the condition. It also aids in determining if fluid accumulation in the heart or the lungs is due to injury, also known as exudate, or due to an imbalance of fluid pressure in the blood vessels and the protein level in the blood – also known as transudate.
This test is a non-specific test that may be used in the assessment of a variety of diseases and conditions. A lactate dehydrogenase blood test is used:
- As a general indicator of the existence and severity of acute or chronic tissue damage
- In order to identify and evaluate conditions that develop over time, like anemia, including hemolytic anemia and megaloblastic anemia, or severe infections
- In order to aid in staging and determining prognosis and/or monitoring treatment (i.e., chemotherapy) of cancers, such as germ cell tumors (e.g., some types of testicular cancer and ovarian cancer), lymphoma, leukemia, melanoma, and neuroblastoma
- Helping in evaluating cerebrospinal fluid and distinguishing between bacterial or viral meningitis
- In order to evaluate body fluids from other parts of the body such as pleural, peritoneal, or pericardial fluid. The test helps in determining the root cause of the accumulation of the fluid – whether it is due to injury and inflammation or due to an imbalance of pressure within blood vessels and the amount of protein in the blood. This information aids in charting out treatment plans.
Different types of LDH tests are ordered for different reasons.
- Blood test:
- Body fluid test:
Different tests indicate different conditions.
- In terms of a blood test:
- Hemolytic anemia
- Pernicious anemia (megaloblastic anemia)
- Infections such as infectious mononucleosis (mono), meningitis, encephalitis, HIV
- Sepsis
- Intestinal, myocardial (heart), and lung (pulmonary) infarction
- Acute kidney disease
- Acute liver disease
- Acute muscle injury
- Pancreatitis
- Bone fractures
- Testicular cancer, lymphoma, or other cancers
- Severe shock
- Lack of oxygen (hypoxia)
- Body fluids:
Related Tests: Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP), Haptoglobin, Liver Panel (LFT), Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Testing, Body Fluid Testing, Pleural Fluid Testing, Pericardial Fluid Analysis, Peritoneal Fluid Analysis, Tumor Markers
Frequently ordered together
Alpha Fetoprotein AFP
Aspartate Aminotransferase AST
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel CMP
Creatine Kinase (CK)
Liver Function Test LFT
Alanine Aminotransferase ALT
Hepatic Function Panel
ALDOLASE
HAPTOGLOBIN
BETA-2-MICROGLOBULIN
IMMUNOGLOBULINS
CBC (HH-RBC-WBC-PLT)
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