Intestinal disaccharidase activity in rosacea.

Recently intestinal disaccharidase deficiency has been identified as one cause of carbohydrate intolerance (Durand, 1958; Auricchio et al., 1963; Kern et al., 1963 ; Dahlqvist, 1964; McMichael et al., 1965; Sheehy and Anderson, 1965). The disaccharidases are produced and act within the cells of the intestinal epithelium (Miller and Crane, 1961). Enzyme deficiencies may be found singly or combined, and in normal or diseased epithelium. Histologically demonstrable smallbowel disease is a common feature of rosacea (Watson et al., 1965), so that disaccharidase deficiency might occur and account wholly or partly for the alimentary disturbance which is found in 75 % of patients.