Intestinal disaccharidases in primary protein malnutrition in adults
Rastogi, M.; Misra, R.C.; Srivastava, P.N.; Sarin, G.S.; Chuttani, H.K.
Tropical and Geographical Medicine 26(2): 133-136
1974
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-3232 PMID: 4212104 Document Number: 79363
Subjects were 20 controls on average 30.45 years old and 32 patients on average 42.5 years old with primary protein-calorie malnutrition. In the controls mean serum protein was 6.7 and albumin was 4.34 g/100 ml. Milk intake was on average 60 ml daily. The patients were from poor socioeconomic groups with very low energy intake and protein intake was from 20 to 30 g daily with a complete lack of animal protein. Mean serum protein was 5.31 and albumin 2.81 g/100 ml. In 3-day faeces fat values were within normal limits in all patients. Marked muscular wasting was present in all the patients and all 6 women were amenorrhoeic. Signs of vitamin A and B complex deficiencies were present in many patients. Mean lactase, sucrase and maltase activities were 3.81, 47.8 and 93.49 units/g protein content of mucosa in patients compared with 6.67, 48.8 and 98.7 in controls. Lactose intolerance occurred in 9 patients. There was no correlation of disaccharidase activities with age, lactose intolerance or milk intake.