Jejunal disaccharidases in protein energy malnutrition and recovery.

ABSTRACT

The jejunal disaccharidases, sucrase, maltase and lactase, were determined in jejunal biopsies obtained from 43 malnourished children and 10 controls. In the study group, 63% were girls and 93% had severe malnutrition. Lactase activity was significantly reduced in third and fourth degree malnutrition (p < 0.05 and p < 0.005, respectively), but maltase activity was significantly reduced only in the fourth degree malnutrition (p < 0.01). After recovery, maltase and sucrase activities showed a marginally significant increase (p = 0.06), where lactase showed no significant increase (p > 0.05). We conclude that jejunal disaccharidase activity decreases significantly with increasing severity of malnutrition, lactase being the most severely affected and the last to recover.