Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE), the loss of plasma proteins through the intestine, is a
symptom in ostensibly unrelated diseases. Emerging commonalities indicate that genetic
insufficiencies predispose for PLE and environmental insults, eg viral infections and
inflammation, trigger PLE onset. The specific loss of heparan sulfate (HS) from the
basolateral surface of intestinal epithelial cells only during episodes of PLE suggests a
possible mechanistic link. In the first tissue culture model of PLE using a monolayer of …