title: Repeatability of the sugar-absorption test, using lactulose and mannitol, for measuring intestinal permeability for sugars.
abstract: Differential sugar-absorption tests for measuring intestinal permeability for sugars have been studied in a variety of gastrointestinal diseases. Their use in general practice has been hampered by a lack of data on reference values and repeatability of the test and the laboratory assay. In this study, we determined the reference values of the sugar-absorption test, using lactulose and mannitol as probe molecules, for children and adults. The repeatability of the test is good; linear relationship: slope, 0.825 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.571, 1.152); intercept, 0.005 (95% CI, -0.004, 0.010). The repeatability of the laboratory assay for the sugar-absorption test is excellent; linear relationship: slope, 1.014 (95% CI, 0.870, 1.094); intercept, 0.002 (95% CI, -0.005, 0.010). The validation of the sugar-absorption test makes the test useful as a simple, noninvasive, reliable intestinal permeability test for sugars, which can be of use for clinical practice. Taking possible interfering factors into account, the sugar-absorption test can be used as a diagnostic test for enteropathy of different etiologies and evaluation of therapeutic interventions in both children and adults. Studies with the sugar-absorption test may clarify the role of intestinal permeability in the pathophysiology of a variety of gastrointestinal diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University Hospital of Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: van Elburg
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Uil
authors.forename: F T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Kokke
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mulder
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: van de Broek
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Mulder
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Heymans
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007792:Lactulose / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D008353:Mannitol / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013395:Sucrose / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D008353:Mannitol; D007792:Lactulose; D013395:Sucrose