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Related Experiment Videos

Lactase deficiency--a comparative study of diagnostic methods.

C Arvanitakis, G H Chen, J Folscroft

    The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
    |October 1, 1977
    PubMed
    Summary

    The 1-14C-lactose breath test accurately diagnoses lactase deficiency (LD), outperforming standard tests. This method suggests lactose malabsorption may contribute to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms in some patients.

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    Area of Science:

    • Gastroenterology
    • Diagnostic Medicine
    • Biochemistry

    Background:

    • Lactase deficiency (LD) affects a significant portion of the population.
    • Accurate diagnosis of LD is crucial for managing gastrointestinal disorders.
    • Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms can overlap with those of LD.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the 1-14C-lactose breath test.
    • To compare the 1-14C-lactose breath test with standard lactose tolerance tests and lactase assays.
    • To investigate the prevalence of LD in patients with IBS.

    Main Methods:

    • 1-14C-lactose breath test administered to control subjects, LD patients, and IBS patients.
    • Measurement of 14CO2 specific activity in breath samples over 2 hours.
    • Comparison of breath test results with standard lactose tolerance tests and jejunal lactase assays.

    Main Results:

    • The 1-14C-lactose breath test effectively distinguished between control and LD groups (P < 0.001).
    • The breath test demonstrated superior specificity compared to the standard lactose tolerance test (P < 0.05).
    • A high correlation (r = 0.77) was observed between 14C-lactose absorption and lactase assay results.
    • Prevalence of LD in IBS patients was 40% by breath test and 35% by lactase assay.

    Conclusions:

    • The 1-14C-lactose breath test is a sensitive, specific, and accurate method for diagnosing LD.
    • Lactose malabsorption may be a contributing factor to symptoms in a subset of IBS patients.
    • The breath test is suitable for both clinical practice and large-scale epidemiological studies.

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