The gastrointestinal absorption of penicillin V in children with suspected coeliac disease.

The gastrointestinal absorption of penicillin V (pc-V) was investigated in 6 children, 6-12 months old, with suspected coeliac disease. The diagnosis was set after small bowel biopsy and absorption tests of vitamin A and d-xylose. As control groups served 7 children with diarrhoea but with normal small bowel biopsy and/or absorption tests and a group of 9 children with upper respiratory tract infection of the same ages as the children in the test group. The absorption of calcium pc-V in oil suspension (Penicals) was impaired in the patients with suspected coeliac disease compared to that of the control groups. There was no significantly different absorption of pc-V between the control children with diarrhoea and those with upper respiratory tract infection. After 6-8 months of gluten free diet in the children with suspected coeliac disease their absorptive ability of oral calcium pc-V in suspension form was equal with that of a control group.