Alkaline phosphatase, phosphoethanolamine, and ethanolamine content in benign prostatic hypertrophy.

The amino acid patterns of benign prostatic hyperplasia specimens show that the contents of phosphoethanolamine and ethanolamine are very variable from one tissue sample to another. An increased phosphoethanolamine content is accompanied by a low ethanolamine content, and vice versa. The concentrations of the two substances correlate well. There exists a possible involvement of alkaline phosphatase in this inverse relationship between phosphoethanolamine and ethanolamine. In specimens with increased phosphoethanolamine and decreased ethanolamine levels alkaline phosphatase activity was low; however in specimens with decreased phosphoethanolamine and increased ethanolamine levels alkaline phosphatase activity was high.