In the laboratory, blood samples are often used to test for LDH. However, I want to know which sample is better as they are both blood samples.
According to an article entitled "Elevated Lactate Dehydrogenase Concentrations in Plasma Compared to Serum" (Bockoven et al. 2022), their findings suggested that there is an increase in LDH levels when using plasma than serum samples. They noted an average increase of 22%. With this, it is better to use serum for LDH testing.
To read more about the said article, here is the link - Article Elevated Lactate Dehydrogenase Concentrations in Plasma Comp...
Both serum and plasma can be used for testing lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). However, serum is more preferred specimen for LDH testing. Crystal Bockoven et al.'s 2018 study supported serum as their preferred specimen, with LDH levels consistently averaging 22% higher in plasma, possibly due to increased platelet counts. Conversely, Z. J. Liu et al.'s 2022 study found notably higher LDH activity in plasma from burn patients, indicating LDH leakage from ruptured platelets. This suggests plasma may yield higher LDH levels in burn patients due to platelet-related factors. It's crucial to consider that plasma samples may be influenced by factors such as platelet count.
Bockoven C, Benirschke RC, Lee HK. Elevated Lactate Dehydrogenase Concentrations in Plasma Compared to Serum. Lab Med. 2022 Sep 1;53(5):479-482. doi: 10.1093/labmed/lmac026. PMID: 35512404. Liu ZJ, Wang W, He CS. Comparison of serum and plasma lactate dehydrogenase in postburn patients. Burns. 2000 Feb;26(1):46-8. doi: 10.1016/s0305-4179(99)00093-5. PMID: 10630319.
Serum is the preferred specimen for LDH testing due to several factors. According to Farhana and Lappin (2023), serum typically exhibits higher LDH levels compared to plasma, attributed to LDH release during clotting. Additionally, LDH activity tends to rise during strenuous exercise, contributing to elevated levels under normal physiological conditions. Furthermore, Bockoven et al. (2022) observed significantly higher LDH concentrations in plasma compared to serum samples, with an average increase of 22%, they propose switching back to using serum for LDH testing because there was unpredictable elevation in plasma LDH concentrations. Based on these findings, utilizing serum for LDH testing is considered more reliable and accurate.
Farhana, A., & Lappin, S. L. (2023, May 1). Biochemistry, lactate dehydrogenase. StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557536/#:~:text=The%20serum%20usually%20has%20a,acid%20under%20normal%20physiological%20conditions.
Bockoven, C., Benirschke, R. C., & Lee, H. (2022). OUP accepted manuscript. Laboratory Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1093/labmed/lmac026
According to Farhana and Lappin (2023), serum is typically considered a superior sample to plasma for lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) testing. This preference comes from the fact that serum, which is acquired by letting blood clot and then extracting the clot, lessens the possibility of interference from cells generating LDH during processing samples. On the other hand, hemolysis can occur in anticoagulant-collected plasma, leading to erroneously high LDH values. The serum reduces errors related to cell breakdown, hence ensuring a more accurate and consistent assessment of LDH activity.
Farhana, A., & Lappin, S. L. (2023, May 1). Biochemistry, lactate dehydrogenase. StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557536/
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