Although gastrointestinal toxicity is one of the most common side effects of anticancer therapy, the diagnosis and assessment of this toxicity still depend mostly on anamnestic data. Measurement of intestinal permeability is one of potential methods of non-invasive laboratory evaluation of gastrointestinal toxicity. The aim of the present study was to investigate intestinal permeability, vitamin A absorption, serum alpha-tocopherol, and urinary neopterin in patients with rectal carcinoma treated with chemoradiation. We have studied intestinal permeability, vitamin A absorption, serum alpha-tocopherol, and urinary neopterin in 17 patients with rectal carcinoma treated with chemoradiation. Urinary lactulose, mannitol, and xylose were measured by capillary gas chromatography, and serum alpha-tocopherol, retinol, retinyl esters, and urinary neopterin were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Lactulose/mannitol ratio was increased 5 and 6 weeks after the start of the treatment. Serum alpha-tocopherol was decreased significantly throughout the course of treatment, but no significant changes were observed in postprandial serum concentrations of retinyl esters or in the concentrations of urinary neopterin. A correlation was observed between baseline parameters of intestinal permeability and urinary neopterin. The measurement of intestinal permeability using the lactulose/mannitol test may represent a sensitive tool in the detection of changes associated with chemoradiation in patients with rectal carcinoma. The therapy is also associated with a decrease of alpha-tocopherol.

• MeSH
• Adenocarcinoma drug therapy   immunology   metabolism   radiotherapy   MeSH
• alpha-Tocopherol blood   MeSH
• Antioxidants metabolism   MeSH
• Chromatography, Gas MeSH
• Dietary Carbohydrates pharmacokinetics   MeSH
• Diterpenes MeSH
• Fluorouracil adverse effects   therapeutic use   MeSH
• Intestinal Absorption * drug effects   radiation effects   MeSH
• Combined Modality Therapy MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Rectal Neoplasms drug therapy   immunology   metabolism   radiotherapy   MeSH
• Neopterin urine   MeSH
• Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic adverse effects   therapeutic use   MeSH
• Retinyl Esters MeSH
• Carbohydrates urine   MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Vitamin A administration & dosage   analogs & derivatives   blood   pharmacokinetics   MeSH
• Radiotherapy, High-Energy adverse effects   MeSH
• Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid MeSH
• Check Tag
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• alpha-Tocopherol MeSH
• Antioxidants MeSH
• Dietary Carbohydrates MeSH
• Diterpenes MeSH
• Fluorouracil MeSH
• Neopterin MeSH
• Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic MeSH
• retinol palmitate MeSH Browser
• Retinyl Esters MeSH
• Carbohydrates MeSH
• Vitamin A MeSH