Small intestinal structure and passive permeability in systemic sclerosis.

Seventeen patients with proven systemic sclerosis had a peroral jejunal biopsy performed. Four biopsies were regarded as showing abnormalities, which were mostly confined to the deeper structures, although in two there was a minimal degree of villous atrophy without epithelial cell changes. Passive intestinal permeability, as assessed by the cellobiose/mannitol test, was normal in all patients. In contrast, seven patients had a low xylose test result, which in five of them could be accounted for by impaired renal function, small intestinal bacterial contamination, or altered gastrointestinal transit. These results indicate that passive intestinal permeability is unaltered in systemic sclerosis, and that malabsorption, when it occurs, is caused by other factors.