Microheterogeneity of serum alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes as revealed by isoelectric focusing.

The microheterogeneity of human serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was investigated by means of isoelectric focusing. Liver and bone isoenzymes focused in a similar pattern, with about 10 bands located between pH 3.7 and 4.9, but differed in the relative intensity of the various bands. Intestinal ALP exhibited 7 to 8 bands at pH 4.9-5.1, and the placental enzyme showed 2 to 3 bands at pH 4.9. Mild digestion with neuraminidase revealed that the banding of liver and bone isoenzymes was at least partly due to differences in the sialic acid content of the various fractions. Extensively desialylated liver and bone isoenzymes showed apparently identical patterns with 6 to 7 bands focused at pH 6.2-6.7. Isoelectric focusing is a useful method for characterizing the microheterogeneity of alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes. The clinical value of this method seems to be limited, however, since it did not distinguish between liver and bone isoenzymes and failed to detect 'specific' isoelectric fractions correlated to various diseases.