Acid phosphatase in leukemic blasts: characterization by isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gel.

Using the high resolution technique of isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gel, isoenzymatic components of acid phosphatase were detected in cell-free extracts prepared from different cytologic types of leukemic blasts in adults. Results indicate that for different cytologic types, different characteristic patterns of acid phosphatase isoenzyme could be detected. These studies extend conventional cytochemistry and indicate that characteristic patterns of acid phosphatase isoenzyme can be detected for various cytologic types of acute leukemia.