Disaccharidases - small bowel mucosa
Last updated: Saturday, 27, March, 2004
| Item | Process |
|---|---|
| Specimen | Small bowel biopsy: at least 5 mg fresh tissue transported in a container on melting ice. |
| Method | Spectrophotometry on tissue extract with assay of lactase, sucrase, maltase, isomaltase, as appropriate. |
| Reference Interval | Depends on laboratory. |
| Application | Investigation of patients with diarrhoea and/or colic in whom sugar intolerance is suspected; investigation of those with small bowel malabsorption. |
| Interpretation | All brush border enzymes are reduced in subtotal villous atrophy; lactase is very low in lactose intolerance; sucrase and isomaltase are very low in sucrose intolerance. |
| Reference | Lebenthal E and Lee PC. J Pediatr 1980; 97: 389-393. |