Immunological methods for human placental alkaline phosphatase (Regan isoenzyme).

Four different immunological methods for the determination of the placental isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase (Regan isoenzyme) were compared in 64 normal blood donors, 23 healthy laboratory and medical staff workers and 68 pregnant women: a. Inhibition by soluble antibodies to the placental enzyme. b. Precipitation with soluble antibodies. c. Precipitation with immobilized antibodies. d. Measurement of the activity of the placental alkaline phosphatase following binding to an immunoabsorbent that has been obtained by polymerization of anti-placental-alkaline phosphatase gamma-globulin using glutaraldehyde. The immunoabsorbent method yielded the best results. The optimal conditions were evaluated for the measurement of the activity of immunoabsorbent-fixed placental (tumoral) alkaline phosphatase activity. This method was applied to 209 normal blood donors and to 239 patients with different malignant tumors: 25.5 percent of the cancer patients exhibited an elevated Regan -isoenzyme activity in the serum.