Serum lactic dehydrogenase and serum transaminase in human leukemia.

By GORDON B. MAGILL, FELIX WROBLEWSKL AND JOHN S. LADUE D URING the initial studies on serum lactic dehydrogenase ( SLD ) and serum transaminase ( SGOT ) in relation to myocardial infarction, high levels of SLD activity were noted! in patients with acute stem cell leukemia and with chronic myelogenous leukemia as well as in patients with widespread metastatic carcinoma.1 A preliminary report by Hill and Levi also indicated a high incidence of elevated SLD in neoplastic disease.2 Subsequent reports have extended the observations on leukemia, both in man and in animals, and have postulated certain mechanisms that might explain the SLD changes. 5 In order to evaluate these SLD alterations, both in terms of clinical significance as well as in terms of possible use as a biochemical parameter of neoplastic activity, serial measurements of SLD and SGOT were studied in a large series of cases. The purpose of this report is to present the observations in a group of 66 patients with leukemia. Similar observations in a group of patients with solid tumors will he the subject of a separate report.