Intestinal permeability, atopic eczema and oral disodium cromoglycate

A dual sugar (lactulose-mannitol) absorption test was performed in 19 patients with atopic eczema before and after a 21 day elimination-diet. Moreover L/M test was carried out in 20 controls. The mean value of lactulose-mannitol urinary ratio (L/M) was 0.015 (+/- 0.018 SD) in the group of patients and 0.012 (+/- 0.011 SD) in the control group (p = 0.49). The mean clinical score improved significantly after elimination diet (41,6 +/- 12.9 SD before the diet, 21.7 +/- 10.4 SD after the diet, p less than 0.001) but no significant modification of intestinal permeability was recorded (L/M = 0.015 +/- 0.018 SD before the diet and 0.21 +/- 0.022 SD after the diet, p = 0.38). Using a double blind approach we were not able to demonstrate any significant effect of disodium cromoglycate on the clinical score and intestinal permeability. The connections between food allergy, intestinal permeability and atopic dermatitis have not been understood, but disodium cromoglycate doesn't seem to play a significant role in the treatment of atopic dermatitis nor in the modification of intestinal permeability.