ABSTRACT
Arthritides, a symmetrical polyarticular disease of the bone are a heterogenous group of disorders in which hereditary and environmental factors in combination with an altered immune response appear to play a causative and pathogenic role in its occurrence. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is an enzyme found in all tissues, with particularly high concentrations of ALP observed in the liver, bile ducts, placenta, and bone.Alkaline phosphatase is an orthophosphoric monoester phosphohydrolase catalyzing the hydrolysis of organic esters at alkaline pH, indicating that alkaline phosphatase is involved in fundamental biological processes.1 The present study envisages on identifying the specific electromorphic association of alkaline phosphatase with arthritides. Phenotyping of serum samples was carried out by PAGE (Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) following Davies (1964)2 protocol on 41 juvenile arthritis, 150 rheumatoid arthritis and 100 osteo arthritis apart from, 25 normal children and 100 adult healthy subjects. Phenotyping of alkaline phosphatase revealed an increase in preponderance of p+ and p++ phenotypes in juvenile, rheumatoid and osteo arthritic patients. However a significant association of these phenotypes was observed only with rheumatoid arthritis condition (c2:17.46). Similarly, a significant increase of p+ phenotypes in female rheumatoid arthritis patients was observed (c2:14.973), suggesting that the decrease in p° (tissue non specific) synthesis/secretion of alkaline phosphatase could be associated with decreased mineralization and ossification process in arthritis condition.