Disaccharidase studies in ulcerative colitis idiopathic steatorrhea and partial gastrectomy

ABSTRACT

Several reporters with divers explanations have been given for the intolerance to milk which sometimes occurs in cases of ulcerative colitis idiopathic steatorrhea and after partial gastrectomy. Intestinal disaccharidase deficiency has been a subject of increasing interest and intense investigation. Santini et al. demonstrated that disaccharide activity of the human small bowel can be measured in specimens of intestinal mucosa obtained by peroral biopsy. In this paper intestinal mucosal disaccharide activities (lactase, maltase, sucrase) were carried out by the method of Dahlquist on 3 patients who had milk intolerance in association with ulcerative colitis, idiopathic steatorrhea and a partial gastrectomy respectively. Lactose tolerance tests were also done on these patients. Low intestinal lactase activities and abnormal disaccharide loading tests were found in all patients. Withdrawal of milk resulted in a subsidence of diarrhoea. It is concluded that mucosal enzymes deficiency states are important factors in the causation of milk intolerance and exacerbation of diarrhoea in these conditions (AU)