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Small bowel permeability to 51Cr-EDTA in children with recurrent abdominal pain
S B van der Meer1, P P Forget, G A Heidendal
1Department of Paediatrics, Academic Hospital Maastricht, State University of Limburg, Holland.
Insights
Children with recurrent abdominal pain show significantly increased small bowel permeability. This finding suggests a potential intestinal cause for their chronic abdominal discomfort, warranting further investigation into gastrointestinal health.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Gastrointestinal Physiology
Background:
- Recurrent abdominal pain is a common complaint in children.
- The underlying causes of pediatric recurrent abdominal pain are often multifactorial and not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate small bowel permeability in children experiencing recurrent abdominal pain.
- To determine if increased intestinal permeability is associated with recurrent abdominal pain in pediatric patients.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the 51Cr-EDTA (Chromium-51 ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) urinary excretion test.
- Measured 24-hour urinary excretion of 51Cr-EDTA in 87 children with recurrent abdominal pain and compared it to healthy controls.
Main Results:
- Children with recurrent abdominal pain exhibited a significantly higher mean 24-hour urinary excretion of 51Cr-EDTA (3.64% ± 1.49%) compared to control children (2.51% ± 0.70%).
- The difference in excretion rates was statistically significant (p < 0.01).
Conclusions:
- Increased small bowel permeability is a significant finding in children with recurrent abdominal pain.
- These results suggest that intestinal factors, specifically compromised small bowel barrier function, may contribute to the etiology of recurrent abdominal pain in children.
Abstract:
Small bowel permeability was investigated in 87 children with recurrent abdominal pain by measuring the 24-h urinary excretion of orally administered 51Cr-EDTA. The mean excretion was 3.64% +/- 1.49% per 24 h. The difference between the mean urinary excretion in children with recurrent abdominal pain and control children (2.51% +/- 0.70%), was significant (p less than 0.01, two sample t-test). The increased small bowel permeability in children with recurrent abdominal pain might indicate an intestinal etiology for the patients' complaints.