Enterocyte dimensions in patients with abnormal intestinal permeability

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Objective. To determine whether patients with an abnormal sugar permeability test, but with normal jejunal biopsy specimens on routine histology, have alterations in their enterocyte dimensions. Design. We examined histological sections of jejunal biopsy specimens from normal subjects, patients with coeliac disease, and subjects with 'normal' biopsy specimens, but with an abnormal cellobiose/mannitol test (the 'test' subjects). Method. Enterocyte dimensions were measured using an eyepiece micrometer at standard magnification. Six measurements of cell height were made for each of four compartments of the mucosa, comprising upper, middle, and lower thirds of the villi, and the crypt, in normal and test subjects, and from crypt and surface enterocytes in coeliac patients. Results. Villous enterocyte height in the test group was significantly lower than that in normal subjects (P< 0.001), whereas crypt epithelial cell height was similar to that in normal subjects. Mean villous enterocyte height in the test group (25.5 μm) was between that found in normal subjects (30.7μm) and coeliac patients (19.5 pm). Conclusion. Abnormal sugar permeability test results in subjects with apparently normal jejunal biopsy specimens, hitherto considered to be false-positives, are accompanied by a significant reduction in villous enterocyte height. Diminished cell height is likely to reflect cellular immaturity with consequent under-development of the brush border. This may underlie the relationship between reduced enterocyte height and abnormal permeability

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: