ANTIGENIC AND MOLECULAR RELATIONSHIP OF HUMAN PROSTATIC ACID-PHOSPHATASE ISOENZYMES

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 18  (3) , 209-211
Abstract
Human prostate contains 2 major acid phosphatase isoenzymes, 2 and 4. Isoenzyme 2 is a glycoprotein with slow electrophoretic mobility. Treatment with sialidase increases its electrophoretic mobility to approach that of isoenzyme 4 which contains no carbohydrate. The identical protein structure of isoenzyme 2 and 4 was revealed by their antigenic identity. Serum acid phosphatase isoenzyme 5 is a different protein species and has no antigenic relationship to isoenzymes 2 and 4. Apparently the elevation of isoenzyme 5 in late stages of prostatic carcinoma with bone metastases is attributable to increased osteoclastic activity.