Intestinal absorption in the Burmese

ABSTRACT

The xylose absorption test using 5g of xylose, the vitamin A absorption test, and the modified folic acid absorption test of Butterworth (1962) was performed on 55 apparently health Burmese adults, 41 subjects with recent diarrhea, and 7 subjects during diarrhoea. Among healthy Burmese (20 out of 55) 36 percent had subnormal xylose absorption (10-29 percent excretion) ; (3 out of 36) 8 percent had defective vitamin A absorption with 5 hour plasma vitamin A levels less than 150 g percent (9 out of 26) 35 percent had defective folate absorption with 5 hour urinary excretion less than 0.87 mg. Considerable variation in xylose absorption was found on repeating the test at one week intervals. Among subjects with recent diarrhoea (8 out of 41) 20 percent had abnormal xylose absorption (less than 10 percent excretion ) and (21 out of 41) 15 percent had subnormal xylose absorption (17 out of 30) 57 percent had defective vitamin A absorption ; and (20 out of 27) 74 percent had defective vitamin A absorption ; and (20 out of 27) 74 percent had defective folate absorption. The incidence of defective xylose, vitamin A and folate absorption was significantly higher in those with recent diarrheoa when compared with the healthy subjects. The incidence of impaired absorption of vitamin A and folate is higher in individuals with defective xylose absorption than in those with normal xylose absorption. Apparently, impaired small intestinal function exists in a considerable proportion of apparently healthy Burmese as revealed by defective xylose and to a lesser extent vitamin A and folate absorption. Also, that defective small intestinal function occurs during and up to one week after an acute episode of diarrheoa . The presence of predomin- antly leaf-shaped jejunal villi in Burmese subjects not suffering from diarrhoea is noted.