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Intestinal permeability in gastrointestinal disorders

Use of oral [99mTc]DTPA

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Abstract

This study examined intestinal permeability in gastrointestinal disorders by measuring urinary recovery following oral administration of [99mTc]DTPA in 117 subjects. The mean percent of the ingested dose excreted in a 24-hr urine sample was 2.8±1.6% in 11 healthy controls, 10.8±10.2% (P<0.001) in 21 ulcerative colitis patients, 8.0±4.7% (P< 0.001) in 35 Crohn's disease patients, 5.1±2.9% (P<0.01) in 17 patients with heterogeneous digestive disease diagnoses, and 3.2±4.7% (P>0.05) in 33 patients with hepatobiliary diagnoses. Among ambulatory patients, Crohn's disease subjects, but not ulcerative colitis patients, had greater urinary recovery than the controls (P<0.05). The Crohn's disease activity index correlated positively with the radionuclide recovery in Crohn's subjects (r=0.455, P<0.02). In a heterogeneous sample of subjects simultaneous ingestion of [99mTc]DTPA and [51Cr]EDTA produced urinary levels that were correlated positively (r=0.556, P<0.001). Increased absorption of [99mTc]DTPA relative to [51Cr]EDTA, however, was noted in ulcerative colitis patients (P<0.05). In conclusion, increased intestinal permeability has been demonstrated by utilizing [99mTc]DTPA in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis patients. Although this observation appears to be a nonspecific indicator of injury, the test provides a simple objective means of establishing disease activity, which possibly may be utilized for therapeutic and investigative studies.

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Author notes

  1. H. Royal MD

    Present address: Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University Medical Center, 510 South Kingshighway Boulevard, 63110, St. Louis, Missouri

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine and Nuclear Medicine, Beth Israel Hospital, 330 Brookline Avenue, 02215, Boston, Massachusetts

    R. H. Resnick MD,  H. Royal MD, W. Marshall, R. Barron MD & T. Werth MD

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  1. R. H. Resnick MD
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  2. H. Royal MD
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  3. W. Marshall
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  4. R. Barron MD
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Additional information

Supported by New England Nuclear grant CG 85001.

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Resnick, R.H., Royal, H., Marshall, W. et al. Intestinal permeability in gastrointestinal disorders. Digest Dis Sci 35, 205–211 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01536764

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01536764

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