Abstract

Carnitine is essential for muscle energy production and is required for the transport of long chain fatty acids and acyl co-enzyme A derivatives across the inner mitochondrial membrane. Recently, an absorptive transport mechanism was discovered at the small bowel level suggesting the possibility of a carnitine deficient state in patients with mucosal damage. Therefore, this study investigated carnitine concentrations in serum of patients with coeliac disease. Serum samples were obtained from 12 patients with active coeliac disease and seven with non-active disease, and compared with serum samples of 17 children with gastrointestinal symptoms but with a small bowel normal on biopsy examination and 33 normal controls. Total serum carnitine concentration was significantly lower in the patients with coeliac disease compared with the other two groups and to reference values. When the degree of atrophy of coeliac intestinal mucosa was numerically graded, serum carnitine concentrations did not correlate to the degree of the intestinal lesion but were significantly lower in the damaged intestine compared with the group with normal mucosa. It is suggested that coeliac disease should be considered as a potential cause of secondary carnitine deficiency.