In adults and elderly persons, the normal findings for acid phosphatase are 0.13-0.63 U/L (Roy, Brower, Hayden; 37°C) or 2.2-10.5 U/L (SI units).[1]
Normal findings in children are 8.6-12.6 U/mL (30°C), while normal findings in newborns are 10.4-16.4 U/mL (30°C).[1]
Conditions associated with elevations in prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) include the following:
Prostate cancer
Benign prostatic hyperplasia
Prostatic infarction
Manipulation of the prostate through a massage or rectal examination
Specifics for collection and panels are as follows:
Specimen type: Blood serum
Collection method: Venipuncture
Specimen volume: 1 mL
Other instructions:
Related tests: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA)
Acid phosphatases are enzymes that are capable of hydrolyzing phosphate esters in an acidic environment.
Prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), which is produced in the prostate, was the first major serum marker for prostate cancer. Metastasis of prostate cancer beyond the capsule, particularly to the bone, causes a rise in acid phosphatase level, with the level increasing in correspondence to the extent of the disease.[1] PAP was used widely for screening, staging, and posttreatment monitoring in prostate cancer, but its use has largely been displaced by that of PSA.[2, 3, 4]
Indications for testing of PAP include the following:
Additional prognostic information for predicting recurrence after radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer
Additional monitoring of therapeutic response in prostate cancer treated by androgen ablation
Can also be used medicolegally as presumptive test to indicate the presence of semen in cases of sexual abuse