Prostatic acid phosphatase: current concepts.

The development of antibodies to PAP opened a new horizon in the detection of acid phosphatase in serum and tissue. The advantages and limitations of this new methodology has been reviewed. A new utilization for PAP antibodies is radioactive labeling of these antibodies for radioimmunodetection of prostatic cancer metastases. If future studies in localizing metastatic sites are promising, then PAP antibodies labeled with chemotherapeutic agents or radioactive isotopes may have a role in therapy.