title: Non-invasive assessment of barrier integrity and function of the human gut.
abstract: Over the past decades evidence has been accumulating that intestinal barrier integrity loss plays a key role in the development and perpetuation of a variety of disease states including inflammatory bowel disease and celiac disease, and is a key player in the onset of sepsis and multiple organ failure in situations of intestinal hypoperfusion, including trauma and major surgery. Insight into gut barrier integrity and function loss is important to improve our knowledge on disease etiology and pathophysiology and contributes to early detection and/or secondary prevention of disease. A variety of tests have been developed to assess intestinal epithelial cell damage, intestinal tight junction status and consequences of intestinal barrier integrity loss, i.e. increased intestinal permeability. This review discusses currently available methods for evaluating loss of human intestinal barrier integrity and function.
authors.affiliation: Joep Grootjans, Geertje Thuijls, Froukje Verdam, Joep PM Derikx, Kaatje Lenaerts, Wim A Buurman, Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center & NUTRIM School for Nutrition, Toxicology and Metabolism, Universiteitssingel 50, 6229 ER, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Joep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grootjans
authors.forename: Geertje
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thuijls
authors.forename: Froukje
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Verdam
authors.forename: Joep Pm
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Derikx
authors.forename: Kaatje
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lenaerts
authors.forename: Wim A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Buurman