Aldolase is an enzyme involved in producing energy from glucose. It is found throughout the body, and plasma levels rise when the patient has muscle or liver disease or damage.
In the past, the aldolase test was requested to diagnose and monitor some diseases of skeletal muscle or the liver. It has now been replaced by other enzymes such as CK (creatine kinase), ALT (alanine aminotransferase) and AST (aspartate aminotransferase), which are more specific indicators of muscle and liver damage. The aldolase test is used in the follow-up of patients with muscular dystrophy.