Serum total lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and LDH isoenzyme activities were studied in 33 cases w i th non-H odgk in's lymphom a to compare the cl inical significance of serological staging with these two serological markers to anatomical staging. Serum total LDH activity correlated with tumor burden as determined by clinical stage at presentation. Initially, LDH-3 was the major fraction of increment for the reflection of increased serum total LDH activity. With the increment of tumor burden (total LDH >200 IU/L), LDH-3 with additional LDH-4 fraction increased, which resulted in LDH-1/LDH-3 flipped pattern. These changes were normalized if complete remission state was induced with treatment. A high pretreatment LDH level (total LDH> 200 IU/L) correlated significantly to a decreased survival rate IP.0.01l> Furthermore, the flip pattern of LDH-I/LDH-3 isoenzyme at diagnosis showed a decreased survival rate (p<0.05), in which 4-year survival rate of patients with non-flipped pattern was 73.8%, comparable to 25.4%; of patients with flippd pattern. The 4-year survival rate of the low risk group Itotal LDH 200 IU/L with unftipped pattern: serological stage A) was 73g while 2-year survival rate of the high risk group (total LDH>200 IU/L withflipped pattern: serological stage D) was 0%, which showed a significant difference (p<0.05). Stepwise Cox regression analysis to identify the important prognostic factors among the serum total LDH, LDH1/LDH-3 flip, serological stage, anatomical stage, B symptoms, cell type, hepatos- plemomegaly, mediastinal mass reveated that the serological stage was the only prognostic factor. In conclusion, based on results of the multivariate analysis, we propose a new prognostic classification of patients with serological staging system in non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Furthermore, the reproducibility and therapeutic stratigies will be warranted.
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