Prostatic contribution to normal serum acid phosphatase.

Total and tartrate-labile serum acid phosphatase levels were compared in patients with and without prostates, and in 12 patients before and after cystoprostatectomy. Absence of the prostate seems to make no significant difference to the levels of serum acid phosphatase. There is no justification for referring to the tartrate-labile serum acid phosphatase as "prostatic acid phosphatase." A substantial incidence of marginally raised levels of serum acid phosphatase in each group of patients suggests that the upper limit of normal for the total serum acid phosphatase should be taken as 5 K.A.u.