Characterization and assay of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase activity in serum: Potential use to assess bone resorption

K. H.W. Lau, T. Onishi, J. E. Wergedal, F. R. Singer, D. J. Baylink

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We improved the electrophotometric assay of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TrACP; EC 3.1.3.2) activity in serum. During development of the assay we found that human serum contains a dialyzable, mixed-type noncompetitive inhibitor(s) of TrACP activity, the effects of which on the assay were substantially lessened by diluting the serum sample with water before assay and increasing the substrate concentration. Hemolysis releases into serum a significant amount of TrACP activity from erythrocytes, which can be inactivated by incubating the serum at 37°C for 1 h before assay. Our improved assay was reproducible (CV = 5%), and measured within 10% of the amount of added bovine skeletal TrACP activity. Preliminary application of the assay revealed that the amount of serum TrACP activity in patients with skeletal diseases (a) differed from normal values and (b) changed in the same direction as the expected change in bone turnover, suggesting that TrACP activity in serum could be useful clinically as a marker of bone metabolism, possibly of bone resorption.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)458-462
Number of pages5
JournalClinical Chemistry
Volume33
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 1987

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

  • Clinical Biochemistry
  • Biochemistry, medical

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