Alkaline Phosphatase is a significant laboratory diagnostic tool to determine the health of the liver and bones. It is mainly found in liver tissue and bones. It can be an indicator of the many ill condition of liver. Its elevated level in blood always suggests something to the physician or observing eye. Alkaline phosphatase is present in all living tissues but it is largely concentrated in liver. Its main function is of removal of proteins and other molecules. Serum alkaline phosphatase is produced in human body by many tissues especially liver, bone, intestine and placenta and is excreted in urine.
Alkaline
phosphatase is an enzyme and all enzymes take active part in body metabolism. In small amounts or minute quantities this enzyme is also found in inside the bile duct, lining of the intestine, kidney and placenta. It requires an alkaline medium for its proper working and optimum usage. The level of alkaline phosphatase in blood can elevate due to a number of conditions and factors, ranging from simple body conditions like normal growth of tissue, late pregnancy to serious medical conditions like cancer and malignancy. The normal range of this enzyme is 25-85IU/DL. The elevated activity of enzyme is seen mainly in diseases of liver, bones and pregnancy.Acute Leukemia and alkaline phosphatase
The high value or range of neurophil alkaline phosphatase or NAP is very characteristic of acute
leukemia. In leukemoid reaction it is characteristically very high. The value of mature neurophil in cytoplasm is very high in acute leukemia. This high range of NAP is very reliable and diagnostic tool to distinguish it from chronic myeloid leukemia.Heptobiliary diseases and alkaline phosphatase
In the rule out of bone disease in body and absence of pregnancy an elevated level of alkaline phosphatase suggest or reflects Heptobiliary diseases. In typical bile duct obstruction it is raised to almost 10 times as to its normal value. The moderate increase in its value may be seen in other diseases related to liver like cirrhosis and hepatitis B and hepatitis C
Bony alkaline phosphatase
This plays vital role in osteobalsts. Its value is raised or elevated in osteobalsts. Osteobalsts are uninucleate and new bone forming cells. These cells synthesize bone matrix. Osteobalsts are abundantly found in bone forming process. The serum level of bone related alkaline phosphatase is marker for osteoblastic activity. Its level also becomes elevated during puberty or during period of active bone growth. It is also raised high in high osteoblastic activity such as fracture, bone repair and Paget’s disease of bones.
