Urinary lactic dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase and lysozyme studies in renal disease.

Urinary lactic dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase and lysozyme determinations were performed on 70 patients with various kidney diseases such as acute and chronic pyelonephritis, acute and chronic glomerulonephritis, idiopathic nephrotic syndrome, diabetic nephropathy, nephrosclerosis, lupus nephritis, analgesic nephropathy, gouty nephropathy, renal tuberculosis, renal lithiasis, and polycystic kidneys. Fifty-three of these patients had elevated levels of urinary lactic dehydrogenase, but this was not of any value in determining the etiology of the renal disease. Similarly, the elevation of alkaline phosphatase in 23 of the 70 had no etiological significance. Neither of these determinations was significant in indicating the degree of renal functional impairment or prognosis. The urinary lysozyme was significantly elevated in only five of the 70 patients and was of no value in indicating the presence or the seriousness of the underlying renal disease.