Abstract
Electrophoretic patterns of leukocyte alkaline phosphatase have been examined in seven normal and four erythrocytosis control subjects and in eight patients with polycythemia vera to determine whether changes occurred after chemotherapy. One major fast band and two narrow slow and intermediate bands of enzyme activity were found in both groups. There was no significant difference between the normal and erythrocytosis subjects. Mean values for the control group revealed that the slow band extended from the origin to 0.5 cm, the intermediate band from 0.5 to 1.0 cm, and the fast band from 1.5 to 5.0 cm, with the fast peak apex located 3.4 cm from the origin. In the eight polycythemia vera patients studied both before and after chemotherapy, there was a consistent and significant shift of the fast band from a location extending from 0.9 to 4.2 cm to a near normal position of 1.4 to 4.8 cm with a shift of the fast peak apex from 1.9 to 3.3 cm from the origin, after a remission was obtained. The slow and intermediate bands did not appear to be influenced by therapy.
