TESTICULAR TUMOR AND SERUM LACTIC DEHYDROGENASE ACTIVITY

Abstract

Lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) activities in serum were assayed in various states of 79 cases with testicular tumors since 1967 in our hospital, and the following results were obtained.
1. Comparison of serum LDH activities before and after extirpation of testicular tumors.
i. Cases with or without metastasis of less than 8cm in diameter.
The serum LDH activities remained between 150 and 450 unit before and after extirpation in most cases with the primary tumors measuring less than 10cm in diameter. On the other hand, abnormally elevated LDH values decreased and became normal after extirpation in cases with the primary tumors measuring over 10cm in diameter (Fig. 1).
ii. Cases with metastasis of larger than 8cm in diameter.
Abnormally elevated values of LDH were still observed after extirpation of the primary lesions in all cases, which is attributed to large metastasis (Fig. 3).
2. The values of serum LDH activities were observed between 200 and 400 unit in uneventful cases after treatment (Fig. 4 & 5).
3. The values of serum LDH activities changed depending on tumor size throughout the course of cases with metastasis (Fig. 7).
4. The values of serum LDH activities were considered to reflect the clinical course in cases of the testicular tumor, but abnormally elevated values of LDH were observed only in cases with the tumor size which was larger than about 10 cm in diameter and they were useless for diagnosis in early stage.
5. No characteristic change of serum LDH activity was observed with varying histological classification, location of metastasis and method of treatment of testicular tumors.
6. The normal values of serum LDH activities of children were slightly higher than those of adults, which ranged between 300 and 600 units (Fig. 6).