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Adequacy of endoscopic biopsy specimens for disaccharidase assays

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Abstract

Intestinal mucosa from 40 patients obtained by fiber-endoscopic biopsy was assayed for disaccharidases to determine suitability of this tissue for assay. The combined specimens from each patient provided 4.7–38.7 mg of tissue, adequate in all instances for duplicate determinations of protein, lactase, sucrase, and maltase. Tissue remained for assays of palatinase in 39 instances, trehalase and cellobiase in 37, and alkaline phosphatase in 22 cases. Twenty-four subjects had normal lactose tolerance tests and normal sucrase/lactase ratios. Thirteen patients with abnormal oral lactose tolerance tests were identified as having a primary low lactase activity on the basis of elevated sucrase/lactase ratios. This ratio was most helpful in making the diagnosis of a primary low lactase, since the mucosal specimens were not obtained from comparable areas. Tissue from three subjects with an abnormally low maltase was unsuitable for diagnosis. Endoscopic biopsy of mucosa appears to be satisfactory for disaccharidase assays in most instances.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, P.O. Box 26901, 73190, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

    J. H. Lee MD, W. J. Griffiths MD, I. Zantout MD &  J. D. Welsh MD

Authors
  1. J. H. Lee MD
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  2. W. J. Griffiths MD
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  3. I. Zantout MD
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  4. J. D. Welsh MD
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Additional information

This work was supported by the Medical Research Service of the Veterans Administration.

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Lee, J.H., Griffiths, W.J., Zantout, I. et al. Adequacy of endoscopic biopsy specimens for disaccharidase assays. Digest Dis Sci 23, 1129–1131 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01072890

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01072890

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