title: Oral immunoglobulin treatment improved intestinal permeability in children with active Crohn's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic mucosal inflammation that affects the intestinal barrier function, for example, by altering the intestinal permeability. This pilot clinical study investigated the impact of oral human immunoglobulin (OHIG) treatment on permeability characteristics in children with active luminal Crohn's disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was performed at the Department of Paediatrics, Norrköping Hospital, Sweden. Intestinal permeability was studied in three boys aged 13, 15 and 18 years with active CD, before and after a six-week treatment programme with OHIG, using different-sized polyethylene glycols as the test molecules. Three age- and sex-matched children with active CD treated with exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) were also studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  OHIG and EEN resulted in virtually similar reductions in the signs and symptoms of mucosal inflammation. However, OHIG, unlike EEN, appeared to normalise mucosal transfer leading to a normalisation of the maximum permeation of the small PEG molecules, as well as less restrictions of the larger PEG molecules.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study found that OHIG appeared to normalise the mucosal barrier. This suggests that it could offer a new additional and versatile treatment for paediatric CD patients, with a minimal risk of adverse effects.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Microbiology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Tommy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sundqvist
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Norrköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stenhammar
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Norrköping, Sweden.|Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tjellström
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Microbiology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Karl-Eric
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Magnusson
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Microbiology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Forslund
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Norrköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lotta
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Högberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010539:Permeability / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G
keywords: Crohn's disease; Exclusive enteral nutrition; Intestinal permeability; Oral immunoglobulin treatment; Polyethylene glycols