Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) antibodies are immunological tools used to detect and quantify LDH, a critical enzyme involved in cellular energy metabolism. LDH catalyzes the interconversion of pyruvate and lactate during glycolysis, playing a key role in anaerobic respiration. It exists as five tetrameric isoenzymes (LDH-1 to LDH-5), formed by combinations of two subunit types: LDHA (M) and LDHB (H). These isoforms exhibit tissue-specific expression; for example, LDH-1 (H4) is predominant in the heart, while LDH-5 (M4) is enriched in the liver and skeletal muscle.
LDH antibodies are widely employed in research and diagnostics to study enzyme distribution, cellular stress, and disease mechanisms. Elevated LDH levels in blood are nonspecific biomarkers for tissue damage, such as myocardial infarction, hemolysis, or liver disease. In cancer research, LDH-A overexpression is linked to tumor progression, metastasis, and poor prognosis due to its role in the Warburg effect. Antibodies targeting specific LDH isoforms enable precise detection via techniques like Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, or ELISA.
Monoclonal antibodies offer high specificity for individual subunits or isoforms, while polyclonal antibodies may detect broader epitopes. Their applications extend to investigating metabolic adaptations in hypoxia, drug toxicity studies, and monitoring therapeutic responses. Validation of LDH antibodies ensures reliability in distinguishing isoforms, which is crucial for interpreting pathological or physiological conditions tied to metabolic dysregulation.