Intestinal permeability in Crohn's disease.

We summarize the anatomical and physiological basis and the ways of measuring the intestinal permeability. We review the studies of the intestinal permeability in Crohn's disease. We analyse the involvement of an abnormal intestinal permeability in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease, as a primary or secondary defect. We discuss the potential usefulness of the measure of intestinal permeability in Crohn's disease activity assessment, relapse prediction and efficacy of treatment.