Shigellosis
Enteric protein loss and intestinal permeability changes in children during
acute shigellosis and after recovery: effect of zinc supplementation.
Alam AN; Sarker SA; Wahed MA; Khatun M; Rahaman MM
Gut 1994 Dec;35(12):1707-11 The effect of zinc supplementation
on intestinal permeability changes and protein loss was studied in 32
children aged between 1 and 12 years during bouts of acute shigellosis
and after recovery. An intestinal permeability test and then a 48 hour
balance study were performed on all patients. They were then blindly assigned
to receive vitamin B syrup either with or without zinc acetate (15 mg/kg
per day) for a month. All patients received a five day course of nalidixic
acid. The balance study was repeated during convalescence and follow up,
but a permeability test was done only at follow up after one month. Intestinal
permeability, expressed as a urinary lactulose:mannitol excretion ratio,
improved significantly (p = 0.001) along with a significant increase (p
= 0.005) in mannitol excretion in the zinc supplemented children, suggesting
a resolution of small bowel mucosal damage. The latter was associated
with a higher coefficient of nitrogen absorption (p = 0.03), suggesting
a possible role of zinc in the treatment of shigellosis. Enteric
protein loss, as assessed by faecal alpha 1 antitrypsin clearance, was
not influenced by zinc supplementation.
|