[Light and electron microscopic histochemical studies of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) isoenzymes in gastric cancer].

By using light and electron microscopic histochemical techniques, the activities and distributions of ALP isoenzymes in gastric cancers and benign gastric diseases were examined. The results showed: Nagao, Regan and Kasahara isoenzymes, which were not expressed in normal gastric mucosae and non-malignant lesions, may be considered as the tumor markers of gastric cancer. The epithelium of intestinal metaplasia exhibited intestinal-type ALP only, which was one of the markers of well-differentiated intestinal metaplasia. In the view-point of the gene expression of ALP isoenzymes, two mutation hypothesis and recessive-gene mutation hypothesis may be proper for gastric cancer.