Lactose absorption and malabsorption in healthy Italian children: do the quantity of malabsorbed sugar and the small bowel transit time play roles in symptom production?

Using breath hydrogen analysis after an oral lactose load (2 g/kg; maximum 50 g), we investigated the prevalence of lactose malabsorption in 61 healthy Italian children aged 6-13 years. We also examined the relationship between symptoms and small bowel transit time and the degree of sugar malabsorption. Three of 61 subjects produced no H2 after both lactose and lactulose load and thus were eliminated at the outset. Lactose malabsorption was defined as excretion of greater than 20 ppm H2. Lactose intolerance was classified as mild (colicky pain, flatulence, abdominal distension, borborygmi) or severe (diarrhea). The frequency of lactose malabsorption in the children aged 6-8 years (group I) was 25%; in the children aged 8-11 years (group II), it was 35%, and in the children aged 11-13 years (group III) 56%. The differences in frequency between the first and the third groups were significant (p = 0.05). Three of 20 (15%) in group I, two of 20 (10%) in group II, and three of 18 (17%) in group III were classified not only as lactose malabsorbing, but also as lactose intolerant, with symptoms during and after the test. We found no difference in the small bowel transit times or in the quantities of malabsorbed lactose in symptomatic and asymptomatic malabsorbing subjects. Other factors that may play a role in symptom production are discussed.     

Recurrent abdominal pain in children: lactose and sucrose intolerance, a prospective study.

Thirty-eight consecutive children with recurrent abdominal pain underwent lactose tolerance tests; 28 of these were also given sucrose tolerance tests. Abdominal pain and abnormal lactose tolerance tests were noted in 11 of 38, while none of the 28 had an abnormal sucrose tolerance test; however, 1 had abdominal pain. Elimination diet for 4 weeks produced significant or total pain relief in 10 of 11 (lactose free) and 0 of 1 children (sucrose free). Lactose intolerance seems to play a contributory role in recurrent abdominal pain in children, while sucrose intolerance does not.     

The Daytime Breath Hydrogen Profile in Children with Abdominal Symptoms and Diarrhoea

ABSTRACT. The daytime breath hydrogen profile (DBHP) enables the study of breath hydrogen (BH) excretion in children under normal dietary and environmental circumstances. We studied the DBHP in 43 children with abdominal pain and (or) diarrhoea in order to evaluate its use in the detection of carbohydrate malabsorption (CHM). The results were compared to those of the lactose BH test. The DBHP was abnormal in 16 patients (37%), 8 of whom also had an abnormal lactose BH test. Five other patients with an abnormal lactose BH test had a normal DBHP. In 7 out of 10 children with an abnormal DBHP, the recorded abdominal symptoms coincided with a sharp increase in BH excretion. Abnormal DBHPs were most frequently found in children with functional abdominal complaints and with giardiasis. Our findings indicate that CHM is more frequently encountered in children with abdominal symptoms than can be detected by the lactose BH test. The DBHP offers new possibilities in the investigation of gastrointestinal conditions by correlating the symptoms directly to the effect induced by CHM.     

Bacterial contamination of the small intestine as an important cause of chronic diarrhea and abdominal pain: diagnosis by breath hydrogen test

Unsuspected bacterial contamination of the small intestine was indicated by breath hydrogen testing in nine patients aged 2 to 34 months during physical examinations for chronic diarrhea and abdominal pain. Elevated bacterial counts of questionable significance were found in duodenal aspirates before and after antibiotic treatment. There was no evidence of bile salt deconjugation or structural changes in the small intestine by light or electron microscopy. This may indicate that the site of colonization is distal to the biopsy site. Breath testing indicated lactose malabsorption in all patients, and four of five patients tested also malabsorbed sucrose. Duodenal disaccharidase levels in all patients were within the normal ranges, but in eight patients the lactase-sucrase ratio was greatly elevated (0.80 +/- 0.36; normal less than 0.45). Dietary restriction alone did not cause complete cessation of symptoms, whereas all patients responded dramatically to oral antibiotic therapy. When patients were well, the lactase-sucrase ratio had returned to normal in those tested, and all nine had normal lactose and lactulose breath hydrogen tests. Unsuspected bacterial contamination of the small intestine, which is easily detected using the breath hydrogen test, may be more commonly associated with chronic diarrhea in children than has been previously realized. In such cases, therapy should be directed at removing the contamination.     

The daytime breath hydrogen profile in children with abdominal symptoms and diarrhoea

The daytime breath hydrogen profile (DBHP) enables the study of breath hydrogen (BH) excretion in children under normal dietary and environmental circumstances. We studied the DBHP in 43 children with abdominal pain and (or) diarrhoea in order to evaluate its use in the detection of carbohydrate malabsorption (CHM). The results were compared to those of the lactose BH test. The DBHP was abnormal in 16 patients (37%), 8 of whom also had an abnormal lactose BH test. Five other patients with an abnormal lactose BH test had a normal DBHP. In 7 out of 10 children with an abnormal DBHP, the recorded abdominal symptoms coincided with a sharp increase in BH excretion. Abnormal DBHPs were most frequently found in children with functional abdominal complaints and with giardiasis. Our findings indicate that CHM is more frequently encountered in children with abdominal symptoms than can be detected by the lactose BH test. The DBHP offers new possibilities in the investigation of gastrointestinal conditions by correlating the symptoms directly to the effect induced by CHM.     

Beta-galactosidase tablets in the treatment of lactose intolerance in pediatrics

Lactose-intolerant children manifest diminished or nonexistent intestinal lactase activity, resulting in flatulence, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. To assess the hydrolytic capability of lactase-containing tablets taken immediately before oral lactose challenge, we studied 18 children previously identified as being lactose intolerant and having no underlying organic gastrointestinal disease. Subjects had a mean (+/- SEM) age of 11.4 +/- 3.4 years; 72% were male. At time of the study, lactase-containing tablets or placebo tablets were ingested (double-blind) immediately before drinking a solution of lactose. Breath samples were obtained for hydrogen analysis at 30-minute intervals during a 2-hour period, and clinical symptoms were monitored. In lactose-intolerant patients, hydrogen production was significantly greater following placebo (maximum hydrogen excretion, approximately 60 ppm) compared with lactase-containing tablets (maximum hydrogen excretion, 7 ppm). Increased hydrogen production was associated with clinical symptoms including abdominal pain (89% of subjects following placebo ingestion), bloating (83%), diarrhea (61%), and flatulence (44%). These results indicate, therefore, that coingestion of lactose and lactase-containing tablets significantly reduces both breath hydrogen excretion and clinical symptoms associated with lactose intolerance.     

Improved accuracy of lactose tolerance test in children,using expired H2 measurement.

Expired hydrogen and blood glucose were measured during an oral lactose tolerance test in 163 children aged between 9 months and 14 years. Lactose malabsorption, defined as an abnormal increase in expired H2 during a lactose tolerance test, was found in 54 children. Of these, 30 were found to be lactose intolerant as the increased expired H2 was accompanied by clinical symptoms. The other 109 children, in whom there was no rise in expired H2, were assumed to have normal lactose absorption. In children with lactose intolerance the increase in expired H2 tended to occur earlier after lactose ingestion than in children with malabsorption. The mean value of the rise in blood glucose was 2.4 mmol/100 ml) in the lactose-tolerant children and 1.0 mmol/1 (18 mg/100 ml) in the lactose-intolerant ones. Although this difference is significant (p less than 0.001), the rise in blood glucose, in predicting the correct diagnosis, was wrong in 13% of cases in the lactose-tolerant group, and wrong in 37% in the lactose-intolerant group (95% confidence limits 9-19% and 22-53% respectively). It is concluded that a rise in blood glucose, whether or not of more that 1.2 mmol/1 (22mg/100 ml) is of little help in differentiating lactose tolerance from intolerance.     

Delayed complete functional lactase sufficiency in breast-fed infants

Colonic fermentation of unabsorbed lactose was evaluated by measuring breath hydrogen (BH2) after a regular feeding in 17 white, normal, exclusively breast-fed infants 4-5 weeks of age. Interval breath samples were collected with a specially modified face mask and analyzed by gas chromatography for H2 and CO2 concentrations. Five infants (29%) produced 20 ppm or more of H2, four of whom underwent repeated testing. Three infants stopped producing over 20 ppm of H2 as they grew older. On a repeat evaluation, one of these three infants had levels over 20 ppm when other foods were introduced into his diet. The other continued to have elevated BH2 when weaned. Stools of infants with elevated BH2 levels had no detectable glucose, and pH was over 5.5. Weight-for-age of infants with elevated BH2 was at or above the 75th percentile. BH2 levels, normalized for the amount of breast milk ingested, fell significantly with age. These results show that complete small bowel absorption of lactose from breast milk does not occur in all white, normal, term, appropriate-for-gestational-age infants in the first months of life. The absence of glucose in the stool and the normal stool pH suggest that the unabsorbed lactose that produced H2 can be degraded in the colon.     

超声引导内镜下逆行阑尾炎治疗术在阑尾相关慢性腹痛患儿中的应用价值北大核心CSCD

目的 探讨超声引导内镜下逆行阑尾炎治疗术在儿童阑尾相关慢性腹痛中的临床疗效。方法 回顾性收集2019年8月至2021年5月收治的以慢性腹痛为主诉,超声提示阑尾炎症或腔内粪便或粪石且行超声引导内镜下逆行阑尾炎治疗术患儿30例的临床资料,分析其临床表现、内镜下表现、白细胞计数及中性粒细胞百分比、住院时间、治愈率。结果 30例慢性腹痛患儿中,男童13例(43%),女童17例(57%),平均确诊年龄(9±3)岁,年龄范围3~15岁,中位病程持续时间12个月,中位住院时间3 d;中位白细胞计数6.7×10^(9)/L,中性粒细胞百分比为(50±13)%。21例(70%)术中阑尾腔内冲洗出粪石及大量粪渣。随访率97%(29/30),中位随访时间11(范围:5~26)个月,27例(93%)腹痛症状完全消失。结论 超声引导内镜下逆行阑尾炎治疗术对阑尾腔内粪便或粪石引起的儿童慢性腹痛治疗有效。     

Lactose malabsorption and recurrent abdominal pain in Italian children

The role of lactose malabsorption (LM) was investigated in 32 children (mean age 8.13 +/- 2.46 years) with recurrent abdominal pain (RAP). LM was detected in 75% of them by a lactose breath hydrogen test (LBHT) after a 2-g/kg (max 50-g) load. Of the 18 malabsorbers who participated in a 3-month lactose-free diet (LFD), 14 were judged "improved" and reported lower pain frequency (p less than 0.001). The malabsorbers who improved versus the not improved had comparable past lactose ingestion but were distinguishable on the basis of their lactose absorption capacity (0.36 vs. 0.81 g/kg; p less than 0.01), as subsequently determined by multiple LBHTs with 25-, 12.5-, and 6-g loads. The ratio between past lactose ingestion and lactose absorption was 1.89 in the improved and 0.55 in the not improved groups (p less than 0.01), retrospectively indicating lactose as a possible cause of the symptoms in the improved group. The reintroduction of lactose in amounts not exceeding the absorption capacity into the diet of each malabsorber who had improved with LFD caused relapse in none of the 14 subjects monitored for 2-6 months. In conclusion, LM seems an important cause of symptoms in Italian children with RAP. Assessment of the lactose absorption threshold of each subject of LBHTs provides a basis for reintroduction of "calibrated" amounts of lactose-containing foods (e.g., milk) into the diet.     

The cut-off criterion for a positive hydrogen breath test in children: a reappraisal

Seventy-three preschool children with adequate nutritional status underwent interval-sampling, 3-hour breath-hydrogen carbohydrate absorption tests after consuming either 240 ml of intact milk (containing 12 g of lactose) or the same volume of milk with 90-95% of its lactose prehydrolyzed in vitro (containing less than 1 g lactose, with the remaining sugar as glucose and galactose). Results were examined in a reappraisal of the cut-off criterion for the rise of breath H2 concentration signifying biologically incomplete absorption. If the greater than or equal to 10-ppm criterion advocated by some investigators is used, 83% of our subjects would have been classified as incomplete lactose digesters and 30% would have their tests with the monosaccharide-rich milk classified as positive. With the greater than or equal to 20 ppm criterion used in our laboratory and others, the prevalence of lactose maldigestion in the sample becomes 60% and only 4% of subjects have apparent monosaccharide absorption, 96% having a rise below the cut-off level with prehydrolyzed milk. At least in Guatemalan preschoolers, the 20-ppm criterion for a positive breath H2 test provides a superior specificity-sensitivity balance and more reasonable diagnostic conclusions.     

The prevalence and related symptomatology of Helicobacter pylori in children with recurrent abdominal pain

The aim of the study was to assess and compare the IgG seroprevalence of H. pylori in children with recurrent abdominal pain with healthy children and to investigate the related symptoms. IgG antibodies against low-molecular weight H. pylori antigens were assessed in 438 children with recurrent abdominal pain and in 91 healthy controls. Sera with an ELISA unit-value above the cut-off level were confirmed by Western immunoblot. Only seropositive children with recurrent abdominal pain were examined by an oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy. Symptomatology was recorded according to the localization of the abdominal pain, presence of pyrosis, nocturnal pain, relation of pain to meals and bowel irregularities. The seroprevalence was 21% (95% CI: 17-25%) in the children with recurrent abdominal pain and 10% (95% CI: 5–18%) in the healthy controls ( p = 0:30). In seropositive children with RAP H. pylori was found in 46/66 by culture and histology. The presence of H. pylori was significantly associated with active or inactive chronic gastritis. The presence of H. pylori was associated with both parents being born in a country with a high prevalence and a low social class. Helicobacter pylori-positive children had more often pain related to meals than the H. pylori- negative children. No differences among the two groups were seen according to the levels of haemoglobin, leucocytes, thrombocytes, weight and height. In conclusion, the seroprevalence of H. pylori is comparable in children with recurrent abdominal pain and healthy children. No specific symptomatology was seen in H. pylori- positive children with RAP.     

Biliary dyskinesia: a potentially unrecognized cause of abdominal pain in children

Biliary dyskinesia is defined as symptomatic biliary colic without cholelithiasis, and is diagnosed during cholescintigraphy by assessing gallbladder emptying with cholecystokinin (CCK) stimulation. Unfortunately, gallbladder emptying is not routinely assessed during cholescintigraphy in pediatric patients. The purpose of this review is to assess the effectiveness of cholecystectomy in patients with chronic abdominal pain and delayed gallbladder emptying and to assess whether these findings correlate with the histologic evidence of chronic cholecystitis. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all patients (n=16) at our institution from October 1997 to August 2001 who underwent quantitative cholescintigraphy with CCK stimulation that demonstrated delayed gallbladder emptying (<35% at 60 min) and who subsequently underwent cholecystectomy. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed in 16 patients with chronic abdominal pain. All 16 patients had delayed gallbladder emptying (mean ejection fraction: 15±8%, range: 3–32%). The mean age was 12±2 years (range: 8–17 years). Presenting symptoms included abdominal pain (86%), fatty food intolerance (27%), emesis (13%), and diarrhea (13%). Mean duration of abdominal pain before operation was 11±19 months (range: 2 weeks–6 years). One patients symptoms persisted postoperatively, but abdominal pain resolved in all other patients. Histologic evidence of chronic cholecystitis was demonstrated in 86% of surgical specimens. Five patients underwent concurrent appendectomy, and all had normal appendiceal histology. Our experience suggests that children with chronic abdominal pain and delayed gallbladder emptying on CCK-stimulated cholescintigraphy are likely to benefit from cholecystectomy and to have histologic evidence of chronic cholecystitis.     

Variance in fasting breath hydrogen concentrations in Guatemalan preschool children

The concentration of hydrogen (H2) in expired air after an overnight fast is receiving interest as a diagnostic indicator in itself. We analyzed 319 fasting samples collected from 90 healthy, well-nourished preschool children aged 29-72 months in two institutional settings in Guatemala City. The overall range of fasting H2 concentration was 0-40 ppm, with an arithmetic mean of 4.4 +/- 5.4 ppm (+/- SD) and a geometric mean of 3.2 ppm. No differences between boys and girls was found, but there was a progressive increase in the mean levels and an increase in the number of samples with H2 concentrations greater than 10 ppm with decreasing chronological age. One child with three of six samples having H2 concentrations greater than 40 ppm was found to have intestinal multiple parasitism and hence was excluded from the sample. As compared with a previous report from the United States of fasting breath H2 concentrations in older children, the mean and distribution of values for Guatemalan preschoolers is identical. Intraindividual coefficients of variation in 48 children studied on four occasions had a mean of 62 +/- 31% (range 0-143%).     

Abdominal pain associated with lactose ingestion in children with lactose intolerance

The causal relationship between lactose ingestion and gastrointestinal symptoms is questionable. The aim of this study was to assess symptoms associated with milk ingestion in children with lactose maldigestion. Thirty children (11 males) age 3 to 17 years with lactose maldigestion were studied. In a double-blind, crossover design, subjects ingested 240 mL daily of either lactose-hydrolyzed or lactose-containing milk for 14 days. Diaries were kept daily that recorded diet, medication use, and symptoms. There was a significant increase in abdominal pain experienced by study participants during the lactose ingestion period when compared to the lactose-free period. We conclude that ingestion of 12 g of lactose daily is associated with increased abdominal pain in susceptible children with lactose maldigestion. A trial of dietary lactose restriction may be beneficial in reducing abdominal pain in children with lactose maldigestion.     

Faecal calprotectin levels in infants with infantile colic, healthy infants, children with inflammatory bowel disease, children with recurrent abdominal pain and healthy children

This study investigated faecal calprotectin concentration, a measure of intestinal inflammation, in infants and children with abdominal pain. Faecal calprotectin was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit in spot stool samples in 76 infants with typical infantile colic, 7 infants with transient lactose intolerance and 27 healthy infants. All infants were 2-10 wk of age. In addition, 19 children with recurrent abdominal pain (RAP; mean age 11.5 y), 17 with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD; mean age 11.1 y; 10 had Crohn's disease and 7 ulcerative colitis) and 24 healthy children (mean age 5.3 y) were studied. In infants with infantile colic the mean faecal calprotectin concentration was not different from that in healthy infants (278 +/- 105 vs 277 +/- 109 mg kg(-1), p = 0.97) or in infants with transient lactose intolerance (300.3 +/- 124 mg kg(-1), p = 0.60). The calprotectin level was similar in boys and girls and fell significantly with age (p = 0.04). Children with IBD had faecal calprotectin levels (293 +/- 218 mg kg(-1)) much higher than healthy children (40 +/- 28 mg kg(-1), p < 0.0001) and children with RAP without identified organic disease (18 +/- 24 mg kg(-1), p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Faecal calprotectin may differentiate between functional abdominal pain and IBD in school-aged children. In young infants high faecal calprotectin levels are normal.     

Lactose and fructose malabsorption in children with recurrent abdominal pain: results of double-blinded testing

Aim: To investigate malabsorption of lactose and fructose as causes of recurrent abdominal pain (RAP). Methods: In 220 children (128 girls, mean age 8,8 [4.1–16.0] years) with RAP, hydrogen breath tests (H₂BT; abnormal if ΔH₂ > 30 ppm) were performed with lactose and fructose. Disappearance of RAP with elimination, recurrence with provocation and disappearance with re‐elimination, followed by a 6‐month pain‐free follow‐up, were considered indicative of a causal relation with RAP. For definite proof, a double‐blinded placebo‐controlled (DBPC) provocation was performed. Results: Malabsorption of lactose was found in 57 of 210, of fructose in 79 of 121 patients. Pain disappeared upon elimination in 24/38 patients with lactose malabsorption, and in 32/49 with fructose malabsorption. Open provocation with lactose and fructose was positive in 7/23 and 13/31 patients. DBPC provocation in 6/7 and 8/13 patients was negative in all. However, several children continued to report abdominal symptoms upon intake of milk or fructose. Conclusion: Lactose intolerance nor fructose intolerance could be established as causes of RAP, according to preset criteria including elimination, open provocation and DBPC provocation. However, in clinical practice, persistent feeling of intolerance in some patients should be taken seriously and could warrant extended elimination with repeated challenges.     

Recurrent abdominal pain in 200 children: somatic causes and diagnostic criteria

Aim: To establish to what extent somatic causes can be found in children referred to secondary care with recurrent abdominal pain. Methods: For 2 years, all consecutive patients (age 4–16 years) fulfilling Apley criteria, referred to secondary care, were included. After a diagnostic work‐up, stepwise therapeutic interventions were performed. A diagnosis was considered to be the cause of the pain when the patient became pain free following therapeutic intervention and remained so for at least 6 months. Results: Two hundred and twenty children (128 F, 92 M; mean age 8.8 years) were enrolled, of which 20 were lost to follow‐up. Spontaneous recovery was seen in 54 patients, (occult) constipation in 92 patients (of whom 18 also had a somatic cause), gastrointestinal infections in 40, food allergy in five, miscellaneous disorders in seven and uncertain diagnosis in 13. In five patients, stress most likely caused the pain. A total of 198 patients became pain free and remained so during follow‐up (mean 18, range 6–60 months). Conclusion: In 200 children with recurrent abdominal pain, somatic causes were found in 26%. Laxative therapy was successful in 46%, resulting in nearly all patients with functional abdominal pain to become pain free. Eventually, 99% became pain free using a therapeutic intervention protocol.     

Lactose malabsorption in children with symptomatic Giardia lamblia infection: feasibility of yogurt supplementation

An investigation was carried out on 61 children suffering from symptomatic giardiasis with the object of verifying the incidence and entity of lactose malabsorption. Furthermore, the possibility of a substitutive yogurt diet was verified in the lactose malabsorbers. The subjects, all children older than 1 year, were studied according to a schedule that included a lactose hydrogen breath test (BT) performed prior to therapy and a further BT 60 days following therapy. The subjects were divided in two groups: group A, 40 children, received a dose of 250 ml of cow's milk; group B, 21 children, received a stress dose of 2 g/kg lactose (max 50 g). Those subjects who were lactose malabsorbers at the 60 day follow-up were also given a BT at 75 days, and in the case of persistent malabsorption, a further BT was performed after 24 h with the administration of yogurt (450 g containing 12.1 g of lactose). Furthermore, 40 subjects matched for age and sex but without any GI complaints served as controls. The results showed lactose malabsorption to be frequent in children with Giardia lamblia symptomatic infection. According to the BT with a standard lactose load, all patients were malabsorbers; when testing lactose absorption with 250 ml of cow's milk, 45% of patients were found to be malabsorbers. In the latter subjects, the oral load of yogurt was uniformly well tolerated and gave rise to no H2 increment on the BT. We conclude that the occurrence of lactose malabsorption of nutritional relevance is common in children suffering or having suffered from giardiasis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Lactose malabsorption and intolerance in Uruguayan population by breath hydrogen test (H2)

This study of 200 Uruguayans between 0 and 86 years old was designed to determine the prevalence of lactose malabsorption. Lactose intolerance is defined as a clinical syndrome of abdominal pain, diarrhea, flatulence, and bloating after the ingestion of a standard lactose tolerance test dose (2 g of lactose per kilogram of body weight or 50 g/m2 of body surface area, maximum 50 g in a 20% water solution). Lactose malabsorption refers to the state in which dietary lactose remains unhydrolyzed and subsequently unabsorbed from the gastrointestinal tract; symptoms may or may not result from lactose malabsorption. The technique of breath hydrogen (H2) was used after ingestion of 2 g/kg body weight to a maximum of 50 g in a 20% solution. There was no lactose malabsorption in children younger than 5 years old. The prevalence increases progressively after the age of 5, and in adolescence the percentage of malabsorption is similar to that in adults, who show 65% lactose malabsorption, with 25% asymptomatic and 40% intolerant. In 109 white adults, the prevalence of lactose malabsorption is 63%, with 24% asymptomatic and 39% intolerant. In 11 black adults, lactose malabsorption is 82%, with 27% asymptomatic and 55% intolerant. The difference between white and black adults is statistically significant (p less than 0.05). The H2 test is simple, reliable, noninvasive, and appropriate to study large populations.