INTESTINAL PERMEABILITY IN ALCOHOLIC PATI ENTS WITHOUT LIVER-DAMAGE

Background: Chronic alcoholism may increase intestinal permeability. H owever, there are few studies of intestinal permeability in chronic al coholic subjects. Aim: To study intestinal permeability in chronic alc oholic patients without clinical evidences of liver damage, during ear ly abstinence, and in normal subjects. Methods: Thirty seven male subj ects were studied, 18 controls and 19 alcoholics. All subjects underwe nt an anthropometric assessment and dietary history. Lactulose/mannito l test was performed during the third day of abstinence in alcoholics. After an 8 hour overnight fast, subjects drank 200 ml of a solution c ontaining 5 g lactulose and 5 g mannitol. Subsequently, urine was coll ected during the following 5 hours, where both sugars were measured by gas chromatography. Results: Median values of lactulose/mannitol rati o were similar in alcoholics and controls (0.011, range 0.005-0.071 vs 0.014, range 0.005-0.027 respectively). However, absolute urinary exc retion of both lactulose and mannitol was lower in alcoholics. There w as no relationship between nutritional status and urinary excretion of lactulose, mannitol or lactulose/mannitol ratio. Conclusion: In these alcoholic patients, no changes were observed in intestinal permeabili ty.