title: Effect of intestinal helminthiasis on intestinal permeability of early primary schoolchildren.
abstract: Intestinal permeability of 246 early primary schoolchildren at 2 schools (106 of whom were infected with intestinal helminths) was assessed by using the lactulose/mannitol differential absorption test. The ratio of the urinary recoveries of lactulose and mannitol was determined after oral administration of a standard solution of the 2 sugars. Assessment of intestinal permeability was repeated on 100 infected children after treatment and on a cohort of 68 uninfected children. Infected and uninfected groups were compared with respect to baseline lactulose/mannitol ratio (L/M1) and change in lactulose/mannitol ratio between assessments (delta L/M). The correlations between baseline intensity of infection and L/M1, and between fall in intensity and delta L/M, were evaluated. Based on a crude index of socioeconomic status, each child was assigned to one of 3 socioeconomic groups; all but 3 children belonged to either groups 2 or 3. Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris lumbricoides were the 2 predominant infections; the hookworm infection rate was relatively low. The results suggested that helminthiasis exerted only a marginal effect on intestinal permeability, the impact of which in children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds was negligible in comparison with the cumulative effects of other factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, University Science Malaysia, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Raj
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Sein
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Anuar
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Mustaffa
mesh_terms: D015766:Albendazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001196:Ascariasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D017164:Ascaris lumbricoides; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D006725:Hookworm Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D007792:Lactulose / Q000378:metabolism; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D008353:Mannitol / Q000378:metabolism; D010539:Permeability; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014257:Trichuriasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D008353:Mannitol; D007792:Lactulose; D015766:Albendazole