Abstract
Intestinal disaccharidase activities were determined in 294 jejunal biopsies obtained from 254 children with various disorders of the small bowel, and alkaline phosphatase activity was measured in 251 biopsies. In normal mucosa a broad range of enzyme activity was found corresponding with the data in the literature. A primary disaccharidase deficiency was observed in 5 children with congenital sucrase-isomaltase deficiency and in a 12-year-old Egyptian boy with acquired lactase deficiency. A secondary generalized depression of disaccharidase activity and a diminution of alkaline phosphatase activity existed chiefly in patients who had severe or moderate mucosal damage, also in active coeliac disease and during gluten loading, in protracted diarrhoea of infancy, chronic malabsorption of unknown origin and agammaglobulinemia. During remissions enzyme activities recovered together with mucosal improvement. Low levels of enzyme activities were also seen in some cases of protracted diarrhoea of infancy and chronic malabsorption of unknown origin although only mild mucosal lesions were demonstrated.
Published Version
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