title: The enzymology of intestinal disease.
abstract: The role of enzyme estimations is reviewed. Serum levels of most enzymes do not alter significantly in intestinal diseases because dying mucosal cells slough off into the lumen. Similarly, biopsy material may provide misleading results because of lack of homogeneity between diseased and normal segments of bowel, whether in inflammatory or neoplastic conditions. Lactase deficiency is the most common intestinal enzyme deficiency. The once popular lactose tolerance test is lately giving way to the breath hydrogen test, which generally reflects unabsorbed carbohydrate reaching the colon. This test and its clinical usefulness are reviewed in some detail, and the use of lactulose as an indicator of intestinal transit is also discussed.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Goldberg
mesh_terms: D001944:Breath Tests / Q000379:methods; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000201:enzymology; D004186:Disaccharidases / Q000172:deficiency; D006801:Humans; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000201:enzymology*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D004186:Disaccharidases