Intestinal Disaccharidase Activity in Psoriatic Enteropathy

Abstract

In 14 patients with psoriasis, jejunal mucosal morphology and disaccharidase activities have been correlated with the results of a lactose tolerance test, glucose/galactose tolerance test, lactose-barium meal, and xylose absorption test. There was evidence of an enteropathy in two-thirds of the cases. The mucosal lesion may be extensive, but it was never severe: partial villous atrophy was seen, but never a completely flat mucosa. Half the patients showed reduction of mucosal disaccharidase levels. There was no correlation between either the incidence or severity of the enteropathy, on the one hand, and either the length of duration of psoriasis or the extent of skin involvement, on the other.