Placental Alkaline Phosphatase Antibody / ALPP / PLAP

Reacts with a 70kDa membrane-bound isozyme (Regan and Nagao type) of Placental Alkaline Phosphatase (PLAP) occurring in the placenta during the 3rd trimester of gestation. It is highly specific for PLAP and shows no cross-reaction with other isozymes of alkaline phosphatase. Anti-PLAP reacts with germ cell tumors and can discriminate between these and other neoplasms. Somatic neoplasms e.g. breast, gastrointestinal, prostatic, and urinary cancers may also immunoreact with antibodies to PLAP. Anti-PLAP positivity in conjunction with anti-keratin negativity favors seminoma over carcinoma. Germ cell tumors are usually anti-keratin positive, but they regularly fail to stain with anti-EMA, whereas most carcinomas stain with anti-EMA. Anti-PLAP has been useful in the diagnosis of gestational trophoblastic disease.