Serum alkaline phosphatase in apparently healthy Karachi population.

Serum alkaline phosphatase (AP) was estimated in a total of 786 (418 males and 386 females) apparently healthy people aged between 1-75 years selected randomly from a sample of the Karachi population. Reference ranges for AP level were obtained for the males and females stratified into ten successive age groups. The study population was also divided into two main age groups, a paediatric aged between 1-14 years and an adult group aged between 15 to over 50 years to see if the mean AP levels differ significantly between the two groups. Mean AP level for the male paediatric age group was 225 IU/L, significantly higher (P less than 0.005) than those of the male adult mean level of 83 IU/L. Similarly the mean AP levels for the paediatric female age group was 205 IU/L significantly higher (P less than 0.005), compared to the mean AP level of 67 IU/L obtained for the female adult age group.