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

A Laudat1, P Arnaud, A Napoly

  • 1Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Service de Biochimie, Pointe-à-Pitre/Abymes, Guadeloupe.

The West Indian Medical Journal
|September 1, 1994
PubMed

Insights

Children with food allergies exhibit increased intestinal permeability. This study used a non-invasive sugar test to diagnose food allergies in pediatric patients, showing higher lactulose excretion in allergic children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Allergy Diagnostics
  • Gastrointestinal Physiology

Background:

  • Intestinal permeability is a key factor in gastrointestinal health.
  • Assessing intestinal permeability aids in diagnosing conditions like food allergies.
  • Previous methods for evaluating intestinal permeability in children have limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate intestinal permeability in children with and without food allergies.
  • To determine the efficacy of a non-invasive sugar absorption test for diagnosing food allergies in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

  • Compared urinary excretion of mannitol and lactulose in 17 healthy children and 11 infants with food allergies.
  • Administered non-metabolized sugars orally and measured urinary excretion via gas-chromatography over 5 hours.
  • Calculated the lactulose/mannitol ratio as an indicator of intestinal permeability.

Main Results:

  • Allergic children showed significantly higher lactulose excretion (1.36 +/- 0.92%) compared to controls (0.44 +/- 0.18%, p < 0.001).
  • The lactulose/mannitol ratio was significantly elevated in the allergic group (0.105 +/- 0.071) versus the control group (0.023 +/- 0.008, p < 0.001).
  • Mannitol excretion remained comparable between the allergic and control groups, indicating normal sugar absorption.

Conclusions:

  • The lactulose/mannitol intestinal permeability test is a sensitive and non-invasive diagnostic tool for food allergies in children.
  • This method is well-suited for routine pediatric practice.
  • Increased intestinal permeability is a characteristic feature in children with food allergies.

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