title: Xylose absorption in Papua New Guineans with leprosy.
abstract: Blood xylose concentrations were measured at 60, 90 and 120 min after 25 xylose was given orally in 33 well-nourished Papua New Guinean in-patients at Port Moresby; 12 had lepromatous (group A) and seven non-lepromatous (group B) leprosy, and 14 were controls (group C). Differences between mean xylose concentrations were not significant at any time interval. Three patients (two in group A and one in group B) had 90 min xylose concentrations less than 2.0 mmol l-1. There was no association between xylose concentration and current therapy. Leprosy does not impair small-intestinal absorptive function; it therefore differs from other chronic infections, in which there is xylose malabsorption.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007918:Leprosy / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014994:Xylose / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014994:Xylose