Diamine oxidase activity levels in anorexia nervosa.
OBJECTIVE
Anorexia nervosa (AN) patients often experience gastrointestinal complications caused by their malnutrition. We hypothesized that intestinal integrity is disturbed in AN. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate serum diamine oxidase (DAO) activity, which is considered to be a clinical indicator of the integrity of the intestinal mucosa, in AN patients.


METHODS
Thirty-six AN female patients including 21 AN restricting type (AN-R) and 15 AN binge-eating/purging type (AN-BP) were compared with twenty healthy women on serum DAO activity using immunoassay.


RESULTS
DAO levels in AN-R patients were significantly lower than in AN-BP patients and healthy controls.


CONCLUSIONS
DAO levels were decreased in AN-R patients. This finding suggests the presence of intestinal structural disturbance as one of the physical complications of malnutrition in AN-R patients.
Department of Stress Sciences and Psychosomatic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Yoshiyuki
Y
Takimoto
Kazuhiro
K
Yoshiuchi
Satoshi
S
Shimodaira
Akira
A
Akabayashi
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006631:Amine Oxidase (Copper-Containing) / Q000097:blood*; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000097:blood*; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012016:Reference Values; D055815:Young Adult
D006631:Amine Oxidase (Copper-Containing)
eating disorder; gastrointestinal function; nutrition