ALP
Alternate Names : Alkaline Phosphatase
DefinitionThis is a blood test that measures the amount of the enzyme ALP (alkaline phosphatase).
Why is the Test Performed?
Alkaline phosphatase is an enzyme found in all tissues. Tissues with particularly high concentrations of ALP include the liver, bile ducts, placenta, and bone.
Damaged or diseased tissue releases enzymes into the blood, so serum ALP measurements can be abnormal in many conditions, including bone disease and liver disease. Serum ALP is also increased in some normal circumstances (for example, during normal bone growth) or in response to a variety of drugs.
There are multiple varieties of ALP, called isoenzymes. Different types of isoenzymes, each with different structures, are found in different tissues (for example, liver and bone ALP isoenzymes have different structures) and can be quantified separately in the laboratory. To differentiate the location of damaged or diseased tissue in the body, ALP isoenzyme testing must be done.
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