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McMaster Textbook of Internal Medicine

Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP)

How to Cite This Chapter: Don-Wauchope A, Chetty VT, Ivica J, Kavsak P, Khan WI, Lafreniere M, Nouri K, Solnica B. Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP). McMaster Textbook of Internal Medicine. Kraków: Medycyna Praktyczna. https://empendium.com/mcmtextbook/chapter/B31.1269.3.7.83. Accessed December 05, 2025.
Last Reviewed: May 9, 2022
Last Updated: May 9, 2022
Chapter Information

For a brief introduction and guide to abbreviations, see Laboratory Tests: General Remarks.

Analyte [material]

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) [S/P]

Reference range, target level, or decision threshold

<270 IU/L

There are age- and sex-specific reference intervals for ALP.!!!

Interpretation of results

↑ Cholestasis (drug induced, biliary obstruction, primary biliary cirrhosis, primary cholangitis, vanishing bile duct syndrome, mild recurrent cholestasis), hepatitis, cirrhosis, hepatic infiltrates (sarcoidosis, TB, fungal infections, other granulomatous diseases, amyloidosis), hepatocellular carcinoma, metastases to liver, bone diseases, CKD, heart failure, lymphomas and other malignancies, infection, inflammation

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