LACTATE DEHYDROGENASE (FLUID) TEST

Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is an enzyme required during the process of turning sugar into energy for your cells. LDH is present in many kinds of organs and tissues throughout the body, including the liver, heart, pancreas, kidneys, skeletal muscles, lymph tissue, and blood cells. When illness or injury damages your cells, LDH may be released into the bloodstream, causing the level of LDH in your blood to rise. High levels of LDH in the blood point to acute or chronic cell damage, but additional tests are necessary to discover its cause. Abnormally low LDH levels only rarely occur and usually aren’t considered harmful.