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Acid Phosphatase (ACP) Unit Converter
Acid Phosphatase (ACP) refers to a family of enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of phosphate esters in an acidic environment. While found in various tissues including the liver, spleen, bone marrow, and red blood cells, the highest concentrations are found in the prostate gland. Historically, Prostatic Acid Phosphatase (PAP) was the primary tumor marker for diagnosing and monitoring prostate cancer before the discovery of Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA).[Image of acid phosphatase enzyme structure]
Today, Total ACP is clinically relevant in the evaluation of bone disease (such as Paget’s disease or bone metastasis), hematologic disorders like Gaucher’s disease, and in forensic medicine to identify seminal fluid. Because ACP is an enzyme, results are reported in catalytic activity. The SI system recommends katals (µkat/L or nkat/L), while many labs still use International Units (U/L). This converter allows accurate switching between these standards.
SI Units
RecommendedMicrokatals and Nanokatals per liter.
Conventional Units
Clinical Context
Acid Phosphatase levels are age and gender-dependent. While PSA has largely replaced PAP for prostate cancer screening, ACP remains useful in specific contexts. Elevated levels may indicate bone metastasis (due to osteoclast activity), hyperparathyroidism, or thrombocytosis.[Image of bone remodeling cycle showing osteoclasts]
In forensic science, detecting high concentrations of ACP can confirm the presence of semen in cases of sexual assault, as seminal fluid contains ACP levels 50–1000 times higher than other body fluids. The conversion factors are constant: 1 U/L ≈ 16.67 nkat/L ≈ 0.017 µkat/L.
Clinical References
How to Use This Calculator
Follow these steps to get accurate clinical conversions instantly.
Enter Values
Input your laboratory results into the corresponding unit field (e.g., U/L). You can use either dot or comma decimals.
Automatic Conversion
The calculator works in real-time. As you type in one field, all other units (like µkat/L or nkat/L) are instantly updated.
Verify Units
Check the SI Units section. Both µkat/L and nkat/L are provided as they are both standard ISO units.
Reset
Use the Clear button to reset all fields before starting a new calculation.
Frequently Asked Questions & Tips
Acid Phosphatase is an enzyme. Clinical labs measure its catalytic activity, not its weight. Therefore, units like U/L or katals are used instead of mg/dL.
Yes, in this context, U/L (Units per Liter) and IU/L (International Units per Liter) are interchangeable.