All issues > Volume 19(12); 1976

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1976;19(12):922-929. Published online December 31, 1976.

Clinical Observation on Cerebrospinal fluid Lactic Dehydrogenase Activity.

Seung Joo Lee¹, Hyung Ki Ko¹, ESook Oh¹, Don Hee Ahn¹, Keun Chan Sohn¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, National Medical Center,Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Cerebrospinal fluid lactic dehydrogenase activities with other usual laboratory tests were determined in 131 patients including 48 cases of control group with non-CNS disease and 83 cases of various CNS diseases. Mean value of LDH activity in control group (excluding newborn infants) was 31. 7 unit and in 8 control newborn infants was 54 unit. High levels of CSF LDH activity were found in infectious CNS disorders such as pyogenic meningitis, tuberculous meningitis and non infectious CNS disorders including progressive hydrocephalus, cerebrovascular accident, brain or spinal tumor and metastatic carcinoma. Cerebrospinal fluid LDH activities in aseptic meningitis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, poliomyelitis, epilepsy, chorea and uremia were within normal range. No correlation was found between the levels of CSF LDH activity and the specific etiologic agents or the CSF cell counts and chemistry. Because CSF LDH activity marked the highest level at the extreme of the disease and returned to normal range with recovery of the disease, it is useful as a guidance of antibiotic therapy and an assistant method of prediction of the prognosis.

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