Multiple molecular forms of lactate dehydrogenase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase in normal and abnormal human breast tissues.

Normal and abnormal breast samples of women were analyzed for multiple molecular forms of lactate dehydrogenase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, using acrylamide disc gel electrophoresis and specific enzyme staining techniques for separation and quantitation. Infiltrating ductal carcinomas demonstrated a significant increase (three to six-fold) in the proportion of LDH-5 compared to samples of normal breast, fibrocystic disease and fibroadenoma, indicative of a shift toward the muscle-type lactate dehydrogenase in neoplasia. For glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, carcinomas were found to contain increased proportions of the fastest migrating species, G6PD-I. Total enzyme activity/mg DNA was elevated in meoplastic tissues. Little or no alteration in isoenzyme profiles could be related to menopausal status of the patient.