Separation of alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes and evaluation of the clinical usefulness of this determination.

Ewen, Lilian M.: Separation of alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes and evaluation of the clinical usefulness of this determination. Am. J. Clin. Pathol. 61: 142-154, 1974. A simple technic for separation of alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes on agarose gel, using thymolphthalein monophosphate as the isoenzyme indicator substrate, is described. Results demonstrate that separation of isoenzymes of alkaline phosphatase in serum do not always directly identify diseased organs, except in cases in which liver or bone is the organ primarily involved. In most cases physicochemical tests such as heat treatment of serum and assay of y-glutamyl transpeptidase activity provide as much information as separation of alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes. When both liver and bone diseases are suspected, separation of alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes can provide additional information. (