THE ACID PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY OF HUMAN URINE, AN INDEX OF PROSTATIC SECRETION1¹

Abstract

THE PRESENT INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED to determine, a) the normal values for urinary acid phosphatase in men, women and children; h) the site of origin of urinary phosphatase; and c) the influence of altered physiological states on urinary phosphatase excretion. That the urine of humans contains an enzyme capable of splitting organic phosphates has been demonstrated by Demuth (1) and others (2, 3, 4). These authors agree that optimal phosphate splitting in urine occurs in an acid medium close to a pH of 5. Kutscher (4) found an alkaline phosphatase present at plasma level in the urine. Considerable controversy exists, however, as to the site of formation of urinary phosphatase, its levels of excretion and sex differences in excretion levels. WaldschmidtLeitz and Nonnenbruch (2) found a phosphatase present in urine with an optimum pH range of 5 to 6 and in concentrations much stronger than in serum. They believed