Acid phosphatase in Gaucher's disease.

Increased acid phosphatase activity in the serum and tissues of patients with Gaucher's disease has now been recognized for two decades, but as yet no relation has been established between the enzyme and the etiology and progress of the disease. Here, we review results obtained by various investigators, ranging from a consideration of the methods used for the evaluation of serum acid phosphatase in Gaucher's disease to the most recent findings regarding the purification and characterization of two acid phosphatase isoenzymes from the spleen from patients with Gaucher's disease. We also discuss the intracellular location of tissue acid phosphatase in patients with Gaucher's disease and its contribution to the increased activity in serum.