Examining for gastrointestinal involvement in juvenile idiopathic arthritis is an important part of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Only few scientific data are available.
In a prospective study, 41 patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis were examined for clinical and laboratory data of gastrointestinal involvement. Sugar absorption tests with lactulose, mannitol, and sucrose were applied to assess gastric and intestinal mucosal lesions. Faecal albumin and alpha 1-antitrypsin levels were measured to examine gastrointestinal protein loss, a test for occult blood in stool was administered and Helicobacter pylori serology was performed.
39% of our study population complained of chronic abdominal pain. The patient group showed increased sucrose excretion (p = 0.002), but a normal lactulose/mannitol ratio compared with healthy controls (p = 0.472). 21% of the patients had an elevated faecal alpha 1-antitrypsin level, but only one patient showed occult blood loss. There was no correlation between risk factors and clinical or laboratory signs of gastrointestinal involvement.
We conclude that a high percentage of children and adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis treated with non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs show clinical or laboratory signs of gastrointestinal involvement.