The Effect of Some Antituberculous Drugs upon the Upper Gastrointestinal Tract: an Experiment with Para-Aminosalicylic Acid, Isoniazid, and Streptomycin

Abstract

The mucosal infrastructure and histology of the upper gastrointestinal tract, intestinal function, and the state of the liver have been followed in 6 patients during antituberculous treatment. In 2 patients a transitory inflammatory cell reaction similar to chronic superficial gastritis developed. The number of eosinophils in the mucosa increased in all cases after 2 weeks’ treatment. This reaction did not correlate with the inflammatory cell reaction. The slight decrease of disaccharidase activities was insufficient to cause impairment of the lactose absorption. The affection of the liver observed in all patients may be toxic rather than allergic. Subjective gastrointestinal symptoms showed no correlation with objective findings of the state of the upper digestive system.

Key-words:

• Absorption
• antituberculous treatment
• biopsy
• electron microscopy
• eosinophilia
• gastric mucosa
• gastritis
• lactose tolerance test
• liver function
• side-effects of drugs
• small intestine
• stomach