Alkaline Phosphatase is a hydrolase enzyme responsible for removing phosphate groups from many types of molecules including nucleotides, proteins and alkaloids. The process of removing the phosphate group is called dephosphorylation (Murray et al, 1999).
Alkaline phosphates is an enzyme made
in the liver, bone and the placenta and normally present in high concentration
in growing bone and in bile. ALP is released into the blood during injury and
during such normal activities as bone growth and pregnancy. The enzyme is called alkaline phosphatase
because it works under alkaline (non- acidic) conditions as opposed to acid
phosphates.
MEDICAL IMPORTANCE OF ALKALINE
PHOSPHATASE
High alkaline phosphatase usually means that bone or
liver has been damaged. If other liver tests such as bilirubin, aspartate
transaminase and alanine transaminase are also high, usually the alkaline
phosphatase is coming from the liver. If calcium and phosphate measurements are
abnormal, usually the alkaline phosphatase is coming from bone (Murray et al,
1999).