title: Monitoring skeletal cancer metastases with the bone isoenzyme of tissue unspecific alkaline phosphatase.
abstract: The efficacy of bone alkaline phosphatase (ALP) isoenzyme measurement using lectin precipitation in confirming metastatic bone lesions was compared with total ALP and osteocalcin assay in serum. Sixty-five patients with cancer and metastases to bone (n = 44), liver (n = 15) or lymph nodes (n = 6) as well as 33 healthy adults were studied. Assay of bone ALP is as sensitive but more specific than assay of total ALP in the identification of bone metastases. On the other hand, bone ALP did not correlate with osteocalcin, as is the case in other bone diseases. In the serial monitoring of nine patients with skeletal metastases, bone ALP correlated well with the presence of pain and the progression or regression of metastatic spread.
authors.affiliation: Center for Biomedical Research, Castelfranco Veneto, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burlina
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Secchiero
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sciacovelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zaninotto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Plebani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood*; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000201:enzymology; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000097:blood*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D015675:Osteocalcin; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase