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The method of aspiration biopsy and carbohydrate and lipid tolerance tests were employed for a study of cavitary and membranous digestion in 59 patients. This disease was characterized by an irregular decrease in the level of various enzymes and the rates of absorption of nutritional monomers. The clinical symptoms of disease were shown to be caused by structural changes in the intestinal mucous membrane leading to a syndrome of intolerance of some nutrients. In a grave course of disease membranous digestion remained considerably lowered in spite of therapeutic measures.

The activity of enterokinase and some dipeptidases (glycylalanine, glycylleucine, glycylvaline and glycylglycine) was studied in the intestinal mucosa biopsy specimens of 52 patients with chronic enteritis. Hydroxyproline excretion in the urine was defined before and after gelatin tolerance testing which showed a decrease in hydrolysis and protein absorption in the small intestine in chronic enteritis. A decrease in the level of dipeptidases and enterokinase involved in membranous digestion was noted whereas the level of glycylglycine acting intracellularly was practically unchanged. A decrease in the enzymatic activity correlated with a degree of gravity of disease and a degree of change in a morphological picture of the intestinal mucosa.