Alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme in intestinal metaplasia of the stomach.

To investigate the relationship of intestinal metaplasia of the stomach and gastric carcinoma, isoenzymatic analysis of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) of the intestinal metaplasia was studied. Purified human intestinal ALP, and anti-human intestinal ALP antibody were used, and mucosa ALP of the other segments of human gastro-intestinal tract was studied simultaneously. Radioimmunoassay technique, and immunofluorescent staining using anti-human intestinal ALP antibody, were applied to the stomach resected for gastric carcinoma or peptic ulcer, ALP extracted from the mucosa of intestinal metaplasia, and from the mucosa of the other segments of human gastro-intestinal tract, was identical with intestinal ALP in its enzymological and immunological properties.