Reduction in intravascular hemolysis during treatment with eculizumab. Mean levels of lactate dehydrogenase reflect the degree of hemolysis from baseline to week 52. The dashed line represents the upper limit of the normal range for lactate dehydrogenase (normal range, 103-223 U/L). In eculizumab-treated patients, the mean level of lactate dehydrogenase was rapidly reduced to just above the upper limit of the normal range. In the placebo group, the mean level of lactate dehydrogenase remained highly elevated. The arrow represents the transition of placebo-treated patients to eculizumab treatment in the phase 3 extension study, at which time levels of lactate dehydrogenase rapidly reduced to near normal values. Reprinted from Rother et al36 with permission.
