An automated continuous-monitoring procedure for the determination of acid phosphatase activity in serum.

The method of Hillmann, in which hydrolysis of alpha-naphthyl phosphate by acid phosphatase is coupled to the formation of an alpha-naphthol-Fast Red TR azo-compound, has been adapted for use with the LKB Produkter AB 8600 reaction rate analyzer. Factors which affect the reproducibility of the method are described and its performance is shown to be superior to that of a manual phenyl-phosphate procedure.