title: Gastrointestinal investigations in dermatitis herpetiformis.
abstract: Thirty-seven patients with dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) have been investigated for gastric and small intestinal abnormalities. Evidence of an enteropathy was found in 86% of the patients who had IgA deposits in uninvolved skin. Villous atrophy of the small intestine was found in 29 patients. About one-half of the patients had reduced absorption of xylose and vitamin A. The Schilling test value was lowered in one-third. Serum B12 was too low in 5/28 patients whereas folic acid in serum and whole blood was too low in 14/29 and 5/19, respectively. Atrophic gastritis occurred in 14/28 patients and only about one-third of the whole patient material had normal gastric mucosal structure and secretion.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003874:Dermatitis Herpetiformis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005745:Gastric Acidity Determination; D005750:Gastric Juice / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D007419:Intestinal Secretions / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000378:metabolism; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000378:metabolism; D014994:Xylose / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A; D005492:Folic Acid; D014994:Xylose; D014805:Vitamin B 12