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Increased intestinal permeability seems to play a major role in non-alcoholic liver disease development and progression.

To investigate the prevalence of altered intestinal permeability in children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and to study its potential association with the stage of liver disease.

We performed a case–control study examining intestinal permeability in children using the lactulose–mannitol bowel permeability test.

Overall, 39 consecutive patients (30 males, median age 12 years) and 21 controls (14 males, median age 11.8 years) were included. The lactulose/mannitol ratio resulted impaired in 12/39 patients (31%) and none of the controls. Intestinal permeability was higher in children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (lactulose/mannitol ratios: 0.038 ± 0.037 vs. 0.008 ± 0.007, p < 0.05). Within the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease group, intestinal permeability was …