Figure 3:

Urinary lactulose/rhamnose ratio, a measure of small intestinal permeability, (A; n_Healthy=16; n_COPD=18) was higher in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients than in healthy controls. Among COPD patients, intestinal permeability was higher in active smokers than in participants who never smoked (B; n_{never smoked}=4; n_{former smoker}=8; n_{active smoker}=6). Urinary 3-O-methyl-glucose (3-OMG) recovery rate, a marker for active carrier-mediated glucose transport, was lower in COPD patients (C: n_Healthy=16; n_COPD=17), and decreased to a greater extent in patients who were hospitalized due to an exacerbation in the previous year (D; n_no=12; n_yes=5). Data are presented as means (SEM).