An Overview on Glutamate Dehydrogenase and Its Clinical Applications

The aim of this chapter is an overview of recent knowledge about Glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) in clinical applicability and possible hints for further investigation. GLDH is applicable as a marker of alcoholism, maintenance of abstinence and recurrence of alcohol consumption in daily practice, nevertheless its role as an indirect marker in determining neurodegenerative processes in the brain offers limited help.

In comparison to other markers of alcoholism is GLDH equally accurate. Time aspect considered serum GLDH activity is an ideal marker of alcoholism since it is elevated in alcohol abuse but its activity declines promptly after the last alcohol intake in alcohol dependent subjects and the change lasts long enough to be able to be evaluated. Combinations of alcohol markers increase sensitivity and diminish specificity.

The kinetics of leukocyte GLDH activity is a specific marker of alcohol dependence as well as of the cessation of drinking alcohol. Alcohol consumption reduces GLDH activity to some extent and consecutively it could lead to increased protein production and strengthen of diminished leukocyte protective ability.

The gradually decreased GLDH activity over life may have some contribution in the process of aging the same as the GLDH activity in leukocytes diminishes with ageing. The decrease in GLDH activity in the cerebrospinal fluid at neurodegenerative disorders may be one of the reasons for the neuroexcitotoxic glutamate effect.