Measurement of Alkaline Phosphatase Isoenzyme in Different Stages of Bilharzial Liver Affection

Abstract

The present study comprised 22 normal subjects and 30 bilharzial patients. The patients were categorized into groups I, II, and III according to the stage of liver affection and the absence or presence of ascitis. Total plasma alkaline phosphatase (AP) was assayed by use of the substrate naphthyl phosphate, and the liver isoenzyme activity of AP was also investigated after treatment of the plasma with L-phenylalanine, which inhibits the AP fraction of intestinal origin (LPSAP). The activity measured in the presence of L-phenylalanine thus represents that attributable to plasma AP of liver origin. Respective mean activities of 47 and 41 and 78 and 72 units/liter were obtained for total and AP isoenzyme of liver origin in the plasma of normal and bilharzial patients with hepatosplenomegaly and ascitis (group III), respectively. The liver fraction represented 87.2 and 92.3% of total plasma AP among normal and bilharzial patients (group III), respectively.