Premium
INTESTINAL DIPEPTIDASES AND DISACCHARIDASES IN CHILDREN WITH MALABSORPTION
Author(s) -
DAHLQVIST A.,
LINDBERG T.,
MEEUWISSE G.,
AKERMAN M.
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1970.tb17696.x
Subject(s) - disaccharidase , dipeptidase , medicine , malabsorption , maltase , gastroenterology , ceruloplasmin , lactase , enzyme , endocrinology , biochemistry , small intestine , biology
SUMMARY Intestinal enzyme activities (dipeptidases and disaccharidases) and mucosal morphology were studied in two groups of paediatric patients: one coeliac group ( n =13) and one “suspected cow's milk intolerance” group ( n = 5). The patients were studied before and after dietary treatment. 49 children and adults with histologically normal intestinal mucosa served as a control group. Both groups of patients showed a marked secondary decrease in the dipeptidase and the disaccharidase activities. The decrease was more pronounced for the disaccharidase than for the dipeptidase activities, and was reversible on dietary treatment. Among the disaccharidases, the lactase and trehalase activities were most strongly depressed; in the coeliac group, the ala‐pro dipeptidase activity was more strongly affected than the other dipeptidases. However, as also the ala‐pro dipeptidase activity increased on dietary treatment, this does not provide any clue to the specificity of a hypothetical enzyme whose absence could be responsible for the disease.