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Alkaline phosphatases are enzymes used to diagnose medical conditions and are present in all body tissues, with high levels found in bones and the liver. High levels can indicate liver or bone problems, while low levels can indicate anemia or leukemia. Alkaline phosphatases remove phosphate groups from molecules and are used in molecular biology and milk pasteurization.
Alkaline phosphatases are a group of enzymes used in medicine to diagnose certain conditions. Enzymes are proteins that catalyze reactions and help them happen much faster. Alkaline phosphatase activity can also be a result of normal activity, such as pregnancy or bone growth. Although it is present in all body tissues, it is most prevalent in the bones and liver. High levels are found in the placenta during pregnancy.
An alkaline phosphatase test is often part of a routine blood test for liver function. High levels are normal in children, as they experience rapid growth of their bones. With non-pregnant adults, it is a cause for concern and can indicate a number of medical conditions.
If there are high levels of alkaline phosphatase, further tests may be done to determine if there is a bone or liver problem. A number of liver conditions can cause elevated levels, including cirrhosis, tumors, hepatitis, and drug poisoning. Broken bones and the spread of bone cancer can also lead to high levels. Paget’s disease is a chronic bone disease that is typically diagnosed by high amounts of alkaline phosphatase. Many other conditions can also cause elevated enzyme levels.
If the source of the elevated levels is unclear, there are biochemical methods to determine which type of alkaline phosphatase is responsible for the activity. The bone and liver forms differ in their heat stability. One can also perform electrophoresis and run the samples on a gel with an electric current to distinguish the different shapes. There will be visible differences in the location of the different enzymes on the gel.
Low levels of alkaline phosphatase are seen less frequently than high ones. Low levels can indicate different types of severe anemia or chronic myeloid leukemia. Postmenopausal women who take estrogen for osteoporosis may also have lower levels, as can men who have recently had heart surgery or suffer from malnutrition or hypothroidism.
The mechanism of action of alkaline phosphatases is to remove the phosphate groups, PO4, from some molecules. This process is called dephosphorylation. These enzymes can act on many types of compounds, including nucleotides, the building blocks of DNA. Proteins and DNA can also be dephosphorylated. Alkaline phosphatases work best in an alkaline or high pH environment.
There are practical and non-medical uses for alkaline phosphatase. These are used in molecular biology to cleave the phosphate group from the 5′, or prime five, end of DNA. This prevents the DNA from forming a circle and leaves it linear for the next experimental step. Such processes are also used in milk pasteurization, as a marker to ensure that the milk has been pasteurized. The enzyme loses activity at high temperatures and stops reacting with a dye when the pasteurization process is complete.
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