THE INTESTINAL PERMEABILITY TEST APPLIED TO THE DIAGNOSIS OF FOOD ALLERGY IN PEDIATRICS

Intestinal permeability was evaluated in 17 healthy young children (co ntrol group), aged 4.3 +/- 1.9 years (mean +/- SD), weight 15.4 +/- 5. 5 kg and in 11 infants with food allergy (allergic group, aged 2.3 +/- 1.6 years, weight 9.5 +/- 1.5 kg). In the two groups, the urinary exc retion of two non-metabolized sugars (mannitol, lactulose) was measure d by gas-chromatography after oral administration. Measurement of urin ary content of these sugars 5 hours after administration in the contro l group showed a clearance of 20.2 +/- 8.6% for mannitol and 0.44 +/- 0.18% for lactulose. The lactulose/mannitol ratio in the same group wa s equal to 0.023 +/- 0.008. When compared to the control group, the 11 patients of the allergic group presented a normal mannitol urinary ex cretion (16.5 +/- 13.4% p = NS, Student's t-test) and an increase in t he lactulose excretion (1.36 +/- 0.92%, p <0.001). Moreover, the aller gic group showed a lactulose/mannitol ratio that was significantly dif ferent (0.105 +/- 0.071, p <0.001). The intestinal permeability test f or the diagnosis of food allergies seems to be a sensitive and non-inv asive test that is well suited to the paediatric practice.