Aqueous humour lactic dehydrogenase isoenzymes in retinoblastoma

LDH activity was determined in aqueous humour samples from 11 eyes (of 10 children), four of which contained retinoblastoma. Simultaneous serum LDH levels were also determined in eight of the children. There was no correlation between serum and aqueous humour LDH activity. Total aqueous humour LDH activity ranged from 0 to 99 i.u/l. in the seven eyes with non-neoplastic conditions. It was 56, 124, 158, and 1832 i.u./l. respectively, in the four eyes with retinoblastoma. In all four eyes the ratio of isoenzymes LDH5:LDH1 was greater than 5. The total aqueous humour LDH levels in retinoblastoma was neither consistently elevated, nor related to the total serum LDH. There was a characteristic LDH isoenzyme fractionation pattern which, it is suggested, may be present before the total aqueous humour LDH becomes elevated.