The intestinal permeability test applied to the diagnosis of food allergy in paediatrics

ABSTRACT

Intestinal permeability was evaluated in 17 healthy children (control group), aged 4.3 ñ 1.9 years (mean ñ SD), weight 15.4 ñ 5.5 kg and in 11 infants with food allergy (allergic group, aged 2.3 ñ 1.6 years, weight 9.5 ñ 1.5 kg). In the two groups, the urinary excretion of two non-metabolized sugars (mannitol, lactulose) was measured by gas-chromatography after oral administration. Measurement of urinary content of these sugars 5 hours after administration in the control group showed a clearance of 20.2 ñ 8.6 percent for mannitol and 0.44 ñ 0.81 percent for lactulose. The lactulose/mannitol ratio in the same group presented a normal mannitol urinary excretion (16.5 ñ 13.4 percent, p = NS, Student's t-test) and an increase in the lactulose excretion (1.36 ñ 0.92 percent, p<0.001). Moreover, the allergic group showed a lactulose/mannitol ratio that was significantly different (0.105 ñ 0.071,p<0.001). The intestinal permeability test for the diagnosis of food allergies seems to be sensitive and non-invasive test that is well suited to the paediatric practice (AU)