In rare cases, a mutation in the genes controlling the production of lactate dehydrogenase will lead to a medical condition known as lactate dehydrogenase deficiency. Depending on which gene carries the mutation, one of two types will occur: either lactate dehydrogenase-A deficiency (also known as glycogen storage disease XI) or lactate dehydrogenase-B deficiency. Both of these conditions affect how the body breaks down sugars, primarily in certain muscle cells. Lactate dehydrogenase-A deficiency is caused by a mutation to the LDHA gene, while lactate dehydrogenase-B deficiency is caused by a mutation to the LDHB gene.
This condition is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, meaning that both parents must contribute a mutated gene in order for this condition to be expressed.
A complete lactate dehydrogenase enzyme consists of four protein subunits. Since the two most common subunits found in lactate dehydrogenase are encoded by the LDHA and LDHB genes, either variation of this disease causes abnormalities in many of the lactate dehydrogenase enzymes found in the body. In the case of lactate dehydrogenase-A deficiency, mutations to the LDHA gene result in the production of an abnormal lactate dehydrogenase-A subunit that cannot bind to the other subunits to form the complete enzyme. This lack of a functional subunit reduces the amount of enzyme formed, leading to an overall decrease in activity. During the anaerobic phase of glycolysis (the Cori cycle), the mutated enzyme is unable to convert pyruvate into lactate to produce the extra energy the cells need. Since this subunit has the highest concentration in the LDH enzymes found in the skeletal muscles (which are the primary muscles responsible for movement), high-intensity physical activity will lead to an insufficient amount of energy being produced during this anaerobic phase. This in turn will cause the muscle tissue to weaken and eventually break down, a condition known as rhabdomyolysis. The process of rhabdomyolysis also releases myoglobin into the blood, which will eventually end up in the urine and cause it to become red or brown: another condition known as myoglobinuria. Some other common symptoms are exercise intolerance, which consists of fatigue, muscle pain, and cramps during exercise, and skin rashes. In severe cases, myoglobinuria can damage the kidneys and lead to life-threatening kidney failure. In order to obtain a definitive diagnosis, a muscle biopsy may be performed to confirm low or absent LDH activity. There is currently no specific treatment for this condition.
In the case of lactate dehydrogenase-B deficiency, mutations to the LDHB gene result in the production of an abnormal lactate dehydrogenase-B subunit that cannot bind to the other subunits to form the complete enzyme. As with lactate dehydrogenase-A deficiency, this mutation reduces the overall effectiveness in the enzyme. However, there are some major differences between these two cases. The first is the location where the condition manifests itself. With lactate dehydrogenase-B deficiency, the highest concentration of B subunits can be found within the cardiac muscle, or the heart. Within the heart, lactate dehydrogenase plays the role of converting lactate back into pyruvate so that the pyruvate can be used again to create more energy. With the mutated enzyme, the overall rate of this conversion is decreased. However, unlike lactate dehydrogenase-A deficiency, this mutation does not appear to cause any symptoms or health problems linked to this condition. At the present moment, it is unclear why this is the case. Affected individuals are usually discovered only when routine blood tests indicate low LDH levels present within the blood.