Intestinal Permeability in Children/Adolescents With Functional Dyspepsia

Inclusion Criteria:

• abdominal pain of at least 8 weeks duration and fulfilling Rome II symptom based criteria for functional dyspepsia (patient group only);
• undergoing endoscopy to evaluate FD following demonstration of a lack of clinical response to standard acid reduction therapy (patient group only); and,
• informed permission/assent

Exclusion Criteria:

• previous abdominal surgery;
• any chronic non-gastrointestinal illness requiring regular medical care (e.g. diabetes mellitus, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, cystic fibrosis, cancer);
• any history of an adverse reaction to lactulose or mannitol;
• any use of antacids or laxatives within 1 week prior to the study;
• any use of steroids, antihistamines or antihistamine-like drugs within 4 weeks prior to the study;
• any use of aspirin is prohibited within one week prior to the study;
• any use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) other than aspirin is restricted within one week prior to the study or at the discretion of the Study Physician;
• any use of antibiotics including neomycin (Mycifradin) within 4 weeks prior to the study;
• pregnancy;
• any current or chronic history within the previous 6 months of gastrointestinal symptoms including abdominal pain or discomfort, nausea, vomiting, bloating, diarrhea or constipation (healthy control group only); or
• non-English speaking