Lactate dehydrogenase in human maxillary adenocarcinoma and in experimental adenocarcinoma in mice.

Total lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and isoenzyme pattern were studied in tumour tissue from eight patients with maxillary adenocarcinoma, chronic inflammatory mucosa from 12 patients, normal maxillary mucosa from 12 patients, and an experimental lung adenocarcinoma and normal lung tissue from 12 mice. An increase in the total LDH activity and cathodic shift in LDH isoenzyme pattern was found in human maxillary adenocarcinoma as compared to normal and inflammatory mucosa. The inflammatory mucosa showed an increase in the total LDH activity and a normal isoenzyme pattern. The LDH alterations in the experimental lung adenocarcinoma in mice were similar to those in the human tumours but they were much more marked.