Malabsorption syndrome (sprue) is a spectrum of disorders of the small intestine that results in abnormal nutrient absorption. One type of malabsorption , called celiac disease,or gluten-sensitive enteropathy,results from an immune response to gluten,which is present in certain types of grains and involves the destruction of newly formed epithelial cells in the intestinal glands. There cells fail to migrate to the villi surface ,the villi become blunted,and the surface area decreases. As a result,the intestinal epithelium is less capable of absorbing nutrients. Another type of malabsorption,tropical malabsorption, is apparently caused by bacteria , although no specific bacterium has been identified.