On blood tests, an elevated level of lactate dehydrogenase usually indicates tissue damage, which has multiple potential causes, reflecting its widespread tissue distribution:
*Hemolytic anemia
*Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia
*Infections such as infectious mononucleosis, meningitis, encephalitis, HIV/AIDS. It is notably increased in sepsis.
*Infarction, such as bowel infarction, myocardial infarction and lung infarction
*Acute kidney disease
*Acute liver disease
*Rhabdomyolysis
*Pancreatitis
*Bone fractures
*Cancers, notably testicular cancer and lymphoma. A high LDH after chemotherapy may indicate that it has not been successful.
*Severe shock
*Hypoxia
Low and normal levels of LDH do not usually indicate any pathology. Low levels may be caused by large intake of vitamin C.
LDH is a protein that normally appears throughout the body in small amounts.