Quantitative estimation of cellular infiltration of the small intestinal mucosa in children with cow's milk and gluten intolerance.

Abstract

Quantitative estimation of the infiltration by intraepithelial lymphocytes and eosinophils of the mucosa was carried out in 21 children with cow's milk and 35 children with gluten intolerance. Before dietary treatment, a statistically significant increase in the infiltration by LIE in children with milk intolerance to the mean value of 34.1 cells and in children with gluten intolerance to 39.0 cells was found, what statistically significantly differed from the mean value of LIE for the control group (19.0 cells/100 epithelial cells). The eosinophilic infiltration in this phase of the disease was noted in 38% of children with cow's milk intolerance (16.9 cells/mm2) and in 27% of children with gluten intolerance (28.6 cells/mm2). After 8-24 months of elimination diets--a decrease in the mean value of the LIE infiltration in the mucosa was revealed in both treated groups.