[Lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes in HIV-positive children]

Considering that in the HIV infection there is a precocious deterioration of humoral immunity with rapid turn-over of cellular B clones, we have evaluated the conduct of serum lactate-dehydrogenase activity (LD, EC 1.1.1.27) and its isoenzymes in 21 children born from HIV-positive mother respect to a control group (30 subjects). Furthermore we have checked the existence of a probable correlation between those and other clinical and immunologic parameters (total lymphocytes, CD4/CD8, immunoglobulins, classification according to the Atlanta CDC). In seropositive children we saw, respect to those evolved towards P3 stage, a significantly raising of LD4 (also vs. control group) for likely pulmonary parenchyma's damage, LD3 for B immature lymphocytes' increase and a reduction of LD1 (also vs. control group) for mature clones' decrement. Furthermore in seropositive subjects there was the existence of a direct correlation between LD1 and CD4/CD8 values. As such, the evaluation of LD isoenzymes can establish an useful element in the clinical monitoring of seropositive children.