Serum Lactate Dehydrogenase in Children with Sickle cell disease.

Abstract

Summary: Measurement of scrum LDH is frequently employed diagnostically in disease states associated with tissue destructions of various types. Since children with sickle cell disease suffer from chronic red cell destruction and associated necrosis of other body organs, it is important to recognize that this enzyme is normally elevated in sera of patients with sickle cell and sickle-thalassaemia states during periods when they are free of intercurrent illnesses. In this study, both forward and backward reactions catalyzed by lactate dehydrogenase were measured using pyruvate and lactate as substrates respectively. Serum levels of LDH were twice as high in children with sickle cell disease as in those with sickle trait or normal haemoglobin. Children with Sickle Thalassemia had levels which were intermcdiate but still significantly higher than those of sickle trait or normal haemoglobin. The role of haemolysis and the contribution made by hepatic-splenic necrosis in LDH elevation in sickle cell disease are discussed.