title: Comparative reliability of D-xylose absorption and serum beta-carotene measurements in small intestinal disease.
abstract: Comparative reliability of D-xylose absorption and serum beta-carotene measurements was studied in 63 healthy and sick children suspected of having proximal small intestinal disease. Group 1 included children with newly diagnosed celiac disease (CD) who were on a normal diet (xylose, n = 46; carotene, n = 43); group 2 included children with CD in remission (xylose, n = 17; carotene, n = 15); group 3 included children with CD in remission, but who were exposed to a gluten-containing diet for an average of 1.4 years (xylose, n = 19; carotene, n = 17); and group 4 included 17 healthy children, insofar as this study is concerned, in whom serum carotene was examined. The means of serum xylose of groups 1 and 3 were significantly lower than the mean of group 2 (p less than 0.001 in both cases). D-Xylose had a sensitivity of 76.9% and a specificity of 100%. The mean serum carotene concentration for group 2 patients with CD in remission was equal to the mean of group 4, which included healthy children. The means of groups 1 and 3 were significantly lower than the means of groups 2 and 4 (p less than 0.001 in all cases). Serum beta-carotene had a sensitivity of 95% and a specificity of 87.5%. The use of these two serum tests in combination would give a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 94.1%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood*; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests; D004386:Duodenum / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D014994:Xylose / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D019207:beta Carotene
chemical_list: D019207:beta Carotene; D002338:Carotenoids; D014994:Xylose