[Diagnostic value of glutamate dehydrogenase determination in the dog]

Overproportional GLDH-increase was found to be the most frequently appearing pathological enzyme pattern in canine practice. Thus it could be shown that GLDH deviates, in spite of its mitochondrial localization and greater molecular weight, more frequently and to a higher degree from its reference value than the parameters ALT, AST, AP, GGT and Bilirubin. The results of the study suggest that the liberation of the enzyme is less determined by the intensity than by the intralobular target of the liver insult. Therefore an increase in GLDH-activity should no longer be interpreted as the result of severe liver damage. On the contrary, the enzyme appeared to be the most sensitive indicator for the diagnosis of primary and secondary hepatopathies. The phenomenon of isolated GLDH-increase could be interpreted in almost every disease group as an appearance of the over-proportional increase and can therefore be understood as a serological expression of a slight, perivenous liver affection. Only with effusion patients the enzyme pattern should be regarded as an independent finding, because it has extrahepatic reasons. The induction of the enzyme in cases of diabetes mellitus is discussed.