Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.2.1.108 (lactase)
 2,133 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

77 hospitalized patients with chronic unspecific abdominal complaints, in whom any other organic disease had been previously excluded, were investigated for lactose malabsorption; they were subdivided into two groups: 46 patients complaining primarily of colicky abdominal pain and/or intermittent diarrhoea (group 1) and 31 patients presenting with dyspepsia as the predominant symptom (group 2). To establish the exact prevalence of isolated lactase deficiency in the healthy adult population served by our hospital, 40 Italian adult healthy subjects were also studied. The prevalence of lactose malabsorption was significantly higher (p less than 0.005) in patients of the 1st group than in patients of the 2nd group, and in the healthy adult population seen at our hospital (74% vs 35.5% and 37.5%, respectively). Furthermore a high prevalence of lactose intolerance, determined by means of a three-week diet trial (lactose free-diet versus normal diet), was documented among lactose malabsorbers of the 1st group. We concluded therefore that lactose intolerance is a factor in some Italian adult patients who suffer from long-standing aspecific abdominal discomfort, and it should be always considered in these patients, especially when colicky abdominal pain and diarrhoea are present, before the diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome is made.
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PMID:Lactose intolerance in adults with chronic unspecific abdominal complaints. 667 46

The author suggests that under certain conditions cultured milk, rather than fluid milk, can be used for infant and child nutrition as well as for school milk programs. Some of the major problems with fluid milk, fresh or reconstituted, are discussed. A review of the literature indicates that the assumption of lactose intolerance among many populations is exaggerated. Inappropriate handling of pasteurized milk very often is responsible for a high bacterial count and organoleptic defects. Such quality defects are more pronounced in countries with a warm climate. The use of polluted water in the reconstitution of milk powder, is probably more often responsible for diarrhea than lactose intolerance. For these reasons it is suggested that under appropriate conditions a cultured milk product such as yogurt or quark, be used for infant and child nutrition. The advantages are: 1) the low pH caused by the high lactic acid content detrimentally affects food spoilage and pathogenic organisms in milk; 2) longer shelf life of the fermented product at ambient temperature; and 3) fermented milk products contain the enzyme lactase which facilitates digestion of residual lactose even after ingestion.
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PMID:The potential value of cultured dairy products for child nutrition. 668 16

A total of 308 healthy Italian adults (192 females, 116 males; mean age 29.2 yr) were examined using a field version of the lactose tolerance test with breath hydrogen determination. Two geographical groups were formed according to the birth places of the probands' grandparents: 208 subjects from northern Italy (mainly from the regions of Piemonte, Lombardia, and Veneto) and 100 probands from Sicily. Lactose malabsorption was diagnosed in 106 subjects in group "north" (51%) and in 71 subjects in group "Sicily" (71%). Awareness of milk intolerance was more frequent in lactose malabsorbers. The incidence of diarrhea after the test dose of lactose was significantly higher in "aware" lactose malabsorbers, when compared with persons of the same group who had not experienced milk intolerance. The significant difference in lactose malabsorption frequency between northern Italy and Sicily is further evidence of a north-south gradient of lactase gene frequencies in Europe.
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PMID:Prevalence of primary adult lactose malabsorption and awareness of milk intolerance in Italy. 669 Dec 85

The prevalence of lactase deficiency in British adults is unknown. Examination of the distribution of lactase activities in single and multiple biopsies of jejunum indicated that 0.8 U/g wet weight was a suitable cut-off point to separate lactase deficient patients from others. One hundred and fifty white British adults were selected, none of whom had significant intestinal disease and all of whom had normal histopathology of a jejunal biopsy and normal activities of other disaccharidases measured in the biopsy. The prevalence of lactase deficiency in this group was 4.7%. In contrast, 15 of 20 non-white adults were lactase deficient. Lactase deficiency was found in only three of 36 patients investigated because of diarrhoea after gastric surgery, and in 16 of 200 patients with irritable bowel syndrome (8%). As the prevalence of lactase deficiency is no higher in irritable bowel syndrome than in 'normal' individuals, lactase deficiency clearly is not a predisposing factor for irritable bowel syndrome in white British adults although the two conditions may occasionally coexist.
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PMID:Prevalence of lactase deficiency in British adults. 669 44

The development of glucoamylase activity was compared to that of disaccharidase in the small intestinal mucosa of infants and children. By the age of one month, infants have glucoamylase and disaccharidase levels comparable to those of young adults, indicating that young infants may be able to digest and absorb starches. In infants and children with varying degrees of mucosal injury of the small intestine, the activities of glucoamylase decreased progressively with increasing severity of the villus atrophy. However, the reduction of lactase, palatinase, and sucrase activities was more severe than the loss of activities of glucoamylase and maltase. Thus, children and infants may tolerate polymers of glucose better than disaccharides when they have mucosal injury associated with prolonged diarrhea.
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PMID:Glucoamylase and disaccharidase activities in normal subjects and in patients with mucosal injury of the small intestine. 677 72

Twenty patients with persistent diarrhoea participated in a randomised, double-blind trial of oral sodium cromoglycate and placebo. Eight patients noted significant improvement in their diarrhoea while taking sodium cromoglycate and this did not correlate with the presence of other atopic diseases, a history of food intolerance, or the presence of lactase deficiency. The results suggest that some patients with diarrhoea of unknown cause may have food allergy as a major contributing cause for their diarrhoea.
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PMID:Use of oral sodium cromoglycate in persistent diarrhoea. 677 63

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of lactose malabsorption in healthy, adult Australian Aborigines. Malabsorption of lactose was measured in 45 full blooded Aboriginal subjects and 37 nonAboriginal multiracial controls using the breath hydrogen method. 84% of the Aboriginal subjects were found to be lactose malabsorbers and 64% developed abdominal pain or diarrhea. In the control subjects, 20% were found to be lactose malabsorbers and all of these developed symptoms of diarrhea. The results provide strong evidence that Australian Aborigines, in common with most human adults, are lactase deficient.
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PMID:Lactose malabsorption in Australian Aborigines. 682 86

There are at least 20 rare autosomal recessive disorders that are excessively common in Finland of which congenital lactase deficiency is one. During the last 17 years we have found 16 cases. In each case the mother noted watery diarrhoea, generally after the first feed of breast milk, and at the latest, by age 10 days. The lactose malabsorption was verified at a mean age of 36 (range 3-90) days, by which time the infants were dehydrated and 15 of them weighed less than at birth (mean weight for age was -2.8 SDs). On a lactose-free elimination diet (a group of 6 on Nutramigen and a group of 10 on soy-based formula) the children caught up in growth. One infant in each group showed allergic symptoms. While the infants were being breast fed their faeces contained 20 to 80 g/l lactose. In 24 peroral lactose tolerance tests, the greatest rise in blood glucose concentration was 0.8 mmol/l. Only 2 patients showed abnormal absorption when tested within a week of lactose elimination, and in each absorption tests became normal during the elimination period. Slight to partial villous atrophy of the jejunum was present in 4 early specimens, but in later ones the mean villous height was normal. The mean height of the epithelial cells was reduced and there were fewer intraepithelial lymphocytes in patients. The lactase activities in jejunal biopsy specimens were lower than in most patients with acquired lactase deficiency, with some overlap. The maltase and sucrase activities were normal.
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PMID:Congenital lactase deficiency. A clinical study on 16 patients. 684 26

Investigations by scanning electron microscopy into changes of surface morphology of small bowel mucosa in children with chronic nonspecific diarrhea are reported. The study population comprised 56 patients, ranging in age from 5 months to 7 years; 65% were between 10 and 28 months old, and 64% of the patients were boys. The major findings were: microorganisms on the mucosal surface; excessive extrusion of cell cytoplasm and of enterocytes (cell shedding); presence of excessive mucus on the mucosal surface; damage to the brush border; and partial villous atrophy. The latter lesion was found in only four patients. All these changes are considered pathologic and, for the most part, are presumed to be due to the presence of antigens, in particular, microorganisms. A depression of disaccharidase activities was encountered in 64% of the patients, but prevalence was without regard to age. Most common was a combined depression of lactase, sucrase, and maltase, as well as an isolated depression of lactase. The possibility has to be considered that enteroadherent microorganisms which are usually not considered pathogenic, and microorganisms such as Mycoplasma, may emerge as intestinal pathogens in susceptible children. It is feasible that genetic traits of the host and environmental factors facilitate adherence and colonization of the small bowel mucosa which, in turn, produces chronic diarrhea. Further studies are needed to confirm the preliminary information contained in this report.
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PMID:Chronic nonspecific diarrhea in children: investigation of the surface morphology of small bowel mucosa utilizing the scanning electron microscope. 688 51

A prospective study was undertaken in 100 patients with diarrhoea to identify the causes and to better define the prevalence of the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and to determine if there was a diagnostic symptom complex evident in patients with IBS. A diagnosis of IBS was made in 28 patients and in this group the prevalence of lactase deficiency was found to be 40%. Pain in association with urgency was usual and urgency occurring in the absence of pain was more likely to be found in association with an organic colonic lesion. The two most important symptoms which distinguish IBS from other causes were blood in the motions and weight loss. Giardia lamblia were found in nine patients and 15 patients responded to an empirical course of either metronidazole or tinidazole, without a positive diagnosis of giardiasis being made. Fourteen patients had inflammatory bowel disease and a variety of drugs were responsible for diarrhoea in 10% of patients. Sigmoidoscopy and small bowel biopsy were the most valuable diagnostic investigations.
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PMID:A prospective study of persistent diarrhoea. 695 35


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