Leukocyte Alkaline Phosphatase: a Quantitative and Qualitative Study in Normal and Leukemic Cells

Abstract

Summary. Alkaline phosphatase was determined in pure preparations of granulocytes, lymphocytes, and different types of leukemic cells from subjects not yet given any treatment. In most cases of myeloid leukemia alkaline phosphatase activity was markedly reduced with respect to that of normal granulocytes: a modest degree of activity could be demonstrated in one case only. While no alkaline phosphatase could be demonstrated in normal lymphocytes, it was present, even if only in modest amounts, in two cases of chronic lymphatic leukemia. Electrophoretic fractionation consistently revealed in the granulocyte preparations a wide band with alkaline phosphatase activity extending from aa to the β-globulins, and a fainter band at the level of γ-globulins. In most of the electrophoretic strips of leukemic cells no phosphatase activity could be demonstrated; when present, the electrophoretic pattern was different from that of normal granulocytes, but it varied from case to case.