title: Gastro-intestinal permeability is increased in patients with limited systemic sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to evaluate gastro-intestinal (GI) permeability in patients with limited systemic sclerosis (LSS) at baseline and after oral acetylsalicylic acid (ASA).
  
  
  METHODS
  13 patients with LSS and 10 controls were studied. Baseline GI permeability was assessed with orally administered sucrose, mannitol, and lactulose. Gastric lesions and Helicobacter status were investigated by endoscopy. In 5 patients and 6 controls (with normal baseline permeability) the GI permeability response was assessed after oral ASA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  compared with controls, gastric (p<0.05) and intestinal (p<0.02) permeability was higher in LSS patients, at baseline. After oral ASA gastric permeability (sucrose) increased in both groups (controls: 186%, LSS: 265%), whereas the lactulose/mannitol ratio raised significantly only in LSS (+31% and +148%; p<0.05 vs controls).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  baseline permeability is altered in LSS; the exaggerated response of the small intestine to ASA may represent a genetically determined or a disease-related dysfunction of the mucosal barrier.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Terapia Medica, Policlinico Universitario, Università di Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Catanoso
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lo Gullo
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Giofré
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pallio
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tortora
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lo Presti
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Frisina
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bagnato
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fries
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001241:Aspirin; D004064:Digestive System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010539:Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D012594:Scleroderma, Localized / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D013395:Sucrose / Q000652:urine; D014510:Urease / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D013395:Sucrose; D014510:Urease; D001241:Aspirin