title: Limited fat digestion in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
abstract: In 10 hyaline membrane disease patients with development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, 16 hyaline membrane disease patients without development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and 12 very-low-birthweight infants without major medical problems, we measured the lipase and trypsin activity as well as the bile acids concentrations in preprandially aspirated duodenal juice. In addition, fat and nitrogen balances were performed during the 5th and 6th weeks of postnatal life. The mean duodenal lipase activity in the patients with bronchopulmonary dysplasia was significantly lower than those of the patients without bronchopulmonary dysplasia (4.41 +/- 3.0 versus 9.95 +/- 3.0 U/ml, p < 0.05) and of the controls (19.94 +/- 6.8 U/ml). The mean total bile acid concentration was below the critical micellar concentration of 4 mmol/L only in the patients with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The fecal fat excretion rate in the patients with bronchopulmonary dysplasia was significantly higher than in the patients without bronchopulmonary dysplasia (21.4 +/- 4.6% versus 11.3 +/- 3.4% of intake, p < 0.01) as well as that of the controls (7.9 +/- 2.8% of intake). The serum urea concentrations were similar in the patients without bronchopulmonary dysplasia and in the controls (1.97 +/- 0.6 and 1.89 +/- 0.4 mmol/L, respectively) but significantly higher in the patients with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (2.54 +/- 0.5 mmol/L). The lowest weight gain was found in the patients with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (8.2 +/- 4.7 g/kg/day). It was significantly lower than one of the patients without bronchopulmonary dysplasia or the controls (13.5 +/- 4.0 and 16.2 +/- 3.7 g/kg/day, respectively). The data indicate that patients who develop bronchopulmonary dysplasia have a limited fat absorption, which may help to explain the inadequate weight gain.
authors.affiliation: Center for Infant Nutrition to Prevent Illnesses in Adult Life, Maternity Hospital Macedonio Melloni, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boehm
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bierbach
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Moro
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Minoli
mesh_terms: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D001997:Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000378:metabolism*; D004386:Duodenum / Q000201:enzymology; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006819:Hyaline Membrane Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D008049:Lipase / Q000032:analysis; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis / Q000652:urine; D010179:Pancreas / Q000201:enzymology; D014357:Trypsin / Q000032:analysis; D014508:Urea / Q000097:blood; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D004041:Dietary Fats; D008055:Lipids; D014508:Urea; D008049:Lipase; D014357:Trypsin; D009584:Nitrogen