Altered intestinal permeability to low-molecular-weight polyethyleneglycols (PEG 400) in patients with Crohn's disease.

The passive intestinal permeability to different-sized low-molecular weight polyethyleneglycols (PEG 400) was studied in 24 patients with Crohn's disease, which were compared to 24 healthy persons. The recovery in 6-hour urine after oral intake was significantly lower (p less than 0.0005-0.005) in the subjects with Crohn's disease for molecules ranging between 282 and 546 in molecular weight. Mathematical modelling of the filtering properties demonstrated a lower filtering efficiency of the larger polyethyleneglycols in the patients than in the healthy individuals. The coefficient of variation for the different polymers was larger in the group of Crohn's disease patients, indicating greater heterogeneity in the intestinal filtering efficiency. In two patients the intestinal uptake of the probe molecules was increased 6 weeks after resectional surgery compared to the uptake before operation.