title: Intestinal absorption and pancreatic function are preserved in anorexia nervosa patients in both a severely malnourished state and after recovery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anorexia nervosa (AN) is characterised by a refusal to normal body weight accompanied by a marked restriction of food intake, frequently leading to severe malnutrition. In severe malnutrition and wasting syndromes, mucosal atrophy, altered gastrointestinal motility and pancreatic atrophy, which alter digestive function and can exacerbate malnutrition, have been described. The objective of this work was to determine intestinal absorption and pancreatic function in severely malnourished AN patients before and after recovery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten severely malnourished AN women were studied at hospital admittance (body mass index = 11.44-16.16 kg/m(2)) and after weight recovery with artificial nutrition (body mass index ≥ 20 kg/m(2)). A (13)C-labelled triglycerides digestion test, faecal elastase test and d-xylose absorption test were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In nine patients, (13)C-labelled triglycerides digestion tests and the faecal elastase and d-xylose tests were normal both before and after weight recovery. In one patient, the results were abnormal, and they led to the detection of a previously undiagnosed celiac disease in addition to her AN.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this series, there was neither intestinal absorption nor pancreatic function disturbances in severely malnourished AN patients either before or after weight recovery. The usefulness of these tests in the differentiation of functional versus structural changes needs further studies.
authors: Endocrinology and Nutrition Division, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago and Santiago de Compostela University, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. miguel.angel.martinez.olmos@sergas.es
authors: Miguel Angel
authors: MA
authors: Martínez-Olmos
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Peinó
authors: Alma
authors: A
authors: Prieto-Tenreiro
authors: Mary
authors: M
authors: Lage
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Nieto
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Lord
authors: Esther
authors: E
authors: Molina-Pérez
authors: Juan Enrique
authors: JE
authors: Domínguez-Muñoz
authors: Felipe F
authors: FF
authors: Casanueva
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D001823:Body Composition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000502:physiology*; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010179:Pancreas / Q000503:physiopathology*