Lactic dehydrogenase isozyme patterns and alpha-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase activities in serum from newborns, patients with ovarian cancer or myocardial infarction.

Lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) and alpha-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (HBD) and LDH isozyme patterns were studied in serum from newborns and patients with ovarian cancer or myocardial infarction. LDH and HBD activities from newborns and patients with ovarian cancer or myocardial infarction were significantly increased, compared with those from patients with benign ovarian tumor. These increases were accompanied with a decrease of LDH-H and an increase of LDH-M in serum from newborns and patients with ovarian cancer, while an increase of LDH-H in serum from patients with myocardial infarction was dominant. However, the raised HBD activities in serum from patients with benign ovarian tumor did not affect the LDH isozyme patterns. From analysis of linear regression, a negative correlation between LDH-1 or -2 and HBD activity in serum from patients with ovarian cancer was observed while there was a positive correlation between LDH-4 and HBD activity. Similar patterns in serum from newborns were observed. On the other hand, a positive correlation between LDH-1 and HBD activity and a negative correlation between LDH-4 and HBD activity were found in serum from patients with myocardial infarction.