Electrophoretic variant of fetal intestinal alkaline phosphatase in a patient with cirrhotic liver.

Alkaline phosphatases, which had a unique electrophoretic mobility on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, were found in hepatic tissue of a patient with liver cirrhosis. Enzymic and immunological properties of the enzymes examined on electropherogram were similar to those of a fetal intestinal-type alkaline phosphatase in hepatoma with respect to sensitivity to amino acids, heat stability, sensitivity to sodium dodecyl sulfate, and reactivity to anti-intestinal alkaline phosphatase antiserum. The enzymes seem to be a variant of a fetal intestinal alkaline phosphatase. The significance of occurrence of the enzymes in cirrhotic liver is discussed.