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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Measuring Lactase Enzymatic Activity in the Teaching Lab
Published on: August 6, 2018
Molecularly defined adult-type hypolactasia among working age people with reference to milk consumption and
Sari R Anthoni1, Heli A Rasinperä, Antti J Kotamies
1Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Aim:
To study milk consumption and subjective milk-related symptoms in adults genotyped for adult-type hypolactasia.
Methods:
A total of 1900 Finnish adults were genotyped for the C/T(-13910) variant of adult-type hypolactasia and filled in a structured questionnaire concerning milk consumption and gastrointestinal problems.
Results:
The C/C(-13910) genotype of adult-type hypolactasia was present in 18% of the study population. The prevalence of the C/C(-13910) genotype was higher among subjects who were undergoing investigations because of abdominal symptoms (24%, P < 0.05). Those with the C/C(-13910) genotype drank less milk than subjects with either the C/T(-13910) or the T/T(-13910) genotype of lactase persistence (18% vs 38%; 18% vs 36%, P < 0.01). Subjects with the C/C(-13910) genotype had experienced more gastrointestinal symptoms (84%) during the preceding three-month period than those with the C/T(-13910) (79%, P < 0.05) or the T/T(-13910) genotype (78 %, P < 0.05). Only 9% (29/338) of the subjects with the C/C(-13910) genotype consumed milk and reported no symptoms from it.
Conclusion:
Gastrointestinal symptoms are more common among adults with the C/C(-13910) genotype of adult-type hypolactasia than in those with genotypes of lactase persistence.
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