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Enhanced absorption of macromolecules

A secondary factor in Crohn's disease

  • Intestinal Disorders, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Immunology, And Microbiology
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Abstract

We explored the function of the intestine's mucosal barrier to foreign antigen entry in Crohn's disease. Macroscopically and microscopically uninvolved areas of the small intestines of patients with Crohn's disease were examined. We studied 27 endoscopic biopsy samples from 17 patients with Crohn's disease and 14 samples from nine controls. The absorption and degradation of horseradish peroxidase (molecular weight 40,000 Da) were studied in Ussing chambers. The absorption of intact horseradish peroxidase was significantly increased in patients with moderate or severe Crohn's disease: 271 (95% confidence interval 119–616) ng/hr/cm2, but not in those with slight disease activity: 42 (18–98), compared with controls: 45 (32–64);F=10.90,P=0.0002. The transport rates of degraded horseradish peroxidase were comparable in the Crohn's disease samples and controls. Our results indicate that enhanced absorption of macromolecules is associated with clinical activation of Crohn's disease, and impairment of the mucosal barrier function is a secondary phenomenon in Crohn's disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Tampere University Hospital, Finland

    Merja Malin MD,  Erika Isolauri MD, Pekka Pikkarainen MD, Riitta Karikoski MD & Jouko Isolauri MD

  2. Department of Medicine, Tampere University Hospital, Finland

    Merja Malin MD,  Erika Isolauri MD, Pekka Pikkarainen MD, Riitta Karikoski MD & Jouko Isolauri MD

  3. Department of Pathology, Tampere University Hospital, Finland

    Merja Malin MD,  Erika Isolauri MD, Pekka Pikkarainen MD, Riitta Karikoski MD & Jouko Isolauri MD

  4. Department of Surgery, Tampere University Hospital, Finland

    Merja Malin MD,  Erika Isolauri MD, Pekka Pikkarainen MD, Riitta Karikoski MD & Jouko Isolauri MD

  5. Medical School, University of Tampere, P.O. Box 607, 33101, Tampere, Finland

    Merja Malin MD,  Erika Isolauri MD, Pekka Pikkarainen MD, Riitta Karikoski MD & Jouko Isolauri MD

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  1. Merja Malin MD
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  2. Erika Isolauri MD
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  3. Pekka Pikkarainen MD
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  4. Riitta Karikoski MD
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  5. Jouko Isolauri MD
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The study was supported by grants from the Academy of Finland and the Foundation for Nutrition Research (Finland).

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Malin, M., Isolauri, E., Pikkarainen, P. et al. Enhanced absorption of macromolecules. Digest Dis Sci 41, 1423–1428 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02088568

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02088568

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