However, reliable detection and quantification of these sugars in a complex biological fluid still remains challenging due to interfering substances.
Hereby, elevated lactulose levels indicate intestinal permeability, whereas increased sucrose levels reveal gastric permeability.
The current gold standard for diagnosis of aberrant gut permeability due to disease is the triple-sugar test, where carbohydrates are orally administered and urinary excretion is measured. Increased intestinal or gastric permeability is one of the major hallmarks of liver cirrhosis.
