Tissue acid and alkaline phosphatase in prostatic carcinoma

Twenty-eight patients admitted with infravesical obstruction symptoms were studied. Fourteen of these patients were suffering from prostatic carcinoma defined as inoperable. The remaining 14 patients were diagnosed as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and transurethral resection (TUR) was performed to all of them. Specimens obtained by TUR were used to analyze tissue activities of total and tartarate labil acid phosphatase, and alkaline phosphatase. Enzymatic levels in the tissue were estimated by using fluorimetric method (FU/mg). The estimated averages seemed to vary in favor of the malignant tissue, however this variation was not found to be statistically significant. Different inhibition levels were observed in benign and malignant tissue with the addition of L(+) tartarate. The average levels of the alkaline phosphatase were found to be lower than those of acid phosphatase, but the former showed no difference between the malignant and benign groups.