Role of lactate dehydrogenase and other biomarkers in predicting prognosis of community-acquired pneumonia

Abstract

Background An increase in serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity is commonly taken to support the presumptive diagnosis of some lung diseases and a variety of extrapulmonary disorders, but the role of LDH as an early prognostic factor in detecting outcome in patients with community acquired pneumonia (CAP) was not well studied before. Aim To assess the prognostic value of LDH and other laboratory markers [C-reactive protein (CRP), serum albumin, and neutrophil percentage] in patients with CAP. Patients and methods We compared levels of LDH and other laboratory markers (CRP, serum albumin, and neutrophil percentage) with each other and with CURB65 score, length of hospital stay, and worse outcomes (ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and mortality) in 62 (33 males and 29 females) patients with CAP who were admitted to Pulmonology Department, Benha University Hospital, between March 2016 and March 2017 after ethical committee approval. Results Most of the patients with worse outcomes showed significant high levels of LDH, CRP, albumin, and neutrophil percentage early on admission. Conclusion LDH was a highly sensitive biomarker for early prediction of worse outcomes in patients with CAP.