RESUMO
Statement of Problem: Salivary and serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels have been correlated with potentially malignant lesions. Salivary LDH levels require special testing and can be expensive. The need for a simple and cost‑effective analysis tool is essential to detect the oral malignant lesions to benefit rural populations. Aim: The aim of this study is to estimate the serum LDH in patients with oral lesions due to the consumption of smokeless tobacco. Materials and Methods: Thirty‑five patients with lesions were selected for this study while twenty patients served as a control. Levels of serum LDH were assessed. Age‑ and sex‑matched controls (n = 10) with no smokeless consumption habit and with the habit but without lesion (n = 10) also had their blood drawn to assess the basal level of LDH. The results were then analyzed through the two‑tailed t‑test and Chi‑square analysis using the SPSS statistics software. Results: The mean LDH value of patients with habit and lesion is 446.8 U/L; the mean LDH value for patients with habit but without the presence of a lesion is 421.2 U/L, and the mean LDH value for patients without a habit or lesion is 269.4 U/L. The patients having the habit of using smokeless tobacco had higher LDH values compared to the other two groups, and it is found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Serum LDH values increased in patients with the habit of chewing smokeless tobacco.