The prevalence of lactase deficiency and lactose intolerance in Chinese children of different ages

Objective To determine lactose metabolism and lactase activity in Chinese children of diff erent ages, prevalence of lactase deficiency (LD), and lactose intoleran ce (LI).
Methods All 1168 healthy subjects between 3 and 13 years were recruited from schools in four large cities in China. They were screened by a 25 g lactose tolerance tes t. Some subjects were challenged with 50 g milk powder on different days. Bot h indicators, the expiratory H₂ concentration and intolerance symptoms, were a nalyzed.
Results LD occurred in 38.5% of children in the 3-5 year age group, and 87% of the 7-8 year and 11-13 year old groups. The age of occurrence for LD may be at 7-8 years among Chinese children. The prevalence of LI among Chinese children w as 12.2% at age 3-5 years, 33.1% at age 7-8 years, and 30.5% at age 11-13 yea rs, respectively.
Conclusion The results demonstrate that LD is very common in Chinese children from these fo ur cities. LD and LI have a dose dependent response: lactose absorption and sym ptoms are based on lactase activity. The relationship between breast feeding hi story (or the history of cow milk intake) and lactase activity among Chinese chi ldren has not been established.      

Does milk have a cataractogenic effect?

We undertook a prospective study to test Simoons' hypothesis that in certain susceptible races milk exerts a cataractogenic effect. Overall milk intake in low lactase deficiency areas did not correlate with cataract occurrence. Subgrouping of cataract patients revealed that greater milk intake did show positive correlation with cortical cataracts. Cortical cataracts were also markedly more common in females. Analysis of data from three different regions showed greater milk intake in cortical cataract patients only. Our data indicate the importance of specifying cataract type in cataract studies and highlight the problem this approach brings forth. We noted no different trends in subjects from northwest and southeast India, although the number of subjects from the southeast was considerably less. Patients with early cortical cataracts may be advised to restrict milk intake.Part of this material was presented at second cataract epidemiology meeting at Bonn in March 1988. A brief report has been accepted for publication in the proceedings of the meeting to be published inDevelopment of Ophthalmology, Vol. 17, 1988.     

乳糖酶添加剂对早产儿乳糖不耐受有效性及安全性：一项前瞻性、多中心、随机对照研究

目的 探讨乳糖酶添加剂对早产儿乳糖不耐受改善的有效性以及安全性。方法 2018年1月至2019年12月对上海交通大学医学院附属新华医院、上海市第一妇婴保健院、浙江大学医学院附属儿童医院和苏州大学附属儿童医院收治的有乳糖不耐受症状并符合入组标准的早产儿进行研究,将研究对象随机分为乳糖酶治疗组及对照组,各80例。乳糖酶治疗组患儿每顿母乳或早产儿配方奶中加入4滴（180mg）乳糖酶,同时予双歧杆菌三联活菌散口服及腹部按摩作为辅助治疗。对照组患儿则在每顿奶中加入同等剂量的安慰剂,并予与治疗组相同的益生菌和腹部按摩进行辅助治疗。在干预后第1周末和第2周末比较两组患儿临床症状、体重、粪便pH值、粪便还原糖等指标。结果 乳糖酶治疗组和对照组分别有78例、77例完成研究。干预后第1周末,乳糖酶治疗组还原糖阳性率较对照组低（P<0.05）;干预后第2周末,乳糖酶治疗组患儿腹胀发生率较对照组低（P<0.05）,还原糖阳性率低于对照组（P<0.05）,同时乳糖酶治疗组患儿喂养增加量高于对照组（P<0.05）。研究过程中两组均未发现患儿对乳糖酶添加剂或益生菌产生不良反应。结论 外源性乳...     

Study on influence of age,gender and genetic variants on lactose intolerance and its impact on milk intake in adult Asian Indians

Background: Lactase non-persistence (LNP) has been associated with the CC genotype of ?13910C?>?T and GG genotype of ?22018G?>?A polymorphisms present upstream of the lactase gene. Lactose intolerance (LI) is caused when gastrointestinal symptoms develop in individuals with low lactase activity.

Objective: To analyse association of LNP genotype and LI symptoms with milk intake and determine whether factors such as age, gender and genotype affect LI status.

Subjects and methods: Genetic analysis and lactose tolerance test (LTT) were performed on 205 healthy Indian adults. The pattern of milk consumption was recorded using a dietary questionnaire.

Results: LI was strongly associated with ?13910CC genotype (OR?=?10.28, 95% CI?=?2.32–45.55, p?=?0.002). Females were found to be at a higher risk of developing LI (OR?=?2.47, 95% CI?=?1.33–4.59, p?=?0.004). The association of the ≥50 years age group with LI was marginally significant (OR?=?1.86, 95% CI?=?0.995–3.47, p?=?0.05). Frequency and quantity of milk intake were lower in subjects belonging to the LNP genotype and LI groups (p?Conclusions: Subject study suggests that gender and genotype may be associated with development of LI. Association of age with LI was marginal. The data also indicate that LNP genotype and LI may play a role in influencing milk intake in individuals.     

正确认识特殊医学用途配方食品

2010年中华人民共和国国家标准《特殊医学用途婴儿配方食品通则》的颁布明确了各种特殊配方食品的使用规范。无乳糖或低乳糖配方可作为人工喂养儿出现急性腹泻时治疗措施之一,针对此时出现的乳糖不耐受现象;母乳喂养儿可在每次母乳喂养前添加外源性乳糖酶。乳蛋白部分水解配方可作为母乳不足的补充,主要用于乳蛋白过敏治疗期间由乳蛋白深度水解配方向普通乳蛋白配方转换的过度配方。乳蛋白深度水解配方用于大多数牛乳过敏者回避牛乳期间的营养支持。氨基酸配方主要用于乳蛋白过敏的诊断和严重乳蛋白过敏者回避牛乳过敏期间的营养支持。早产/低出生体质量配方是降低早产儿宫外生长迟缓风险,帮助母乳不足早产儿/低出生体质量儿快速安全生长的配方。母乳充足时,建议在能够接受一定量母乳时在母乳中添加母乳营养补充剂,以保证早产儿生长。对先天性氨基酸代谢障碍的婴儿应该选用适宜的氨基酸代谢障碍配方。     

Comparison of high-dose and low-dose corticosteroid therapy for refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children

Background

Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) is generally a self-limiting disease, but it may become refractory. It is thought that refractory MPP is linked to the excessive immunologic responses of the host. Consequently, the use of adjunctive systemic corticosteroids may have beneficial effects. In this study, we compared the effects of high- and low-dose corticosteroid therapy in a pediatric population with refractory MPP.

IN VIVO DIGESTION OF YOGURT LACTOSE BY YOGURT LACTASE

The intrinsic lactose in yogurt is more efficiently digested and absorbed by lactase-deficient subjects than an equivalent amount of lactose from whole milk. Yogurt contains a β-galactosidase that has lactase activity in the human gut.     

Lactase deficiency among Malaysian children with recurrent abdominal pain

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of lactase deficiency among Malaysian children with recurrent abdominal pain and to describe their clinical characteristics. METHODOLOGY: Twenty-four children referred consecutively to the University of Malaya Medical Centre who fulfilled Apley's criteria (at least three episodes of abdominal pain severe enough to affect normal activity over a period longer than 3 months) were tested for lactase deficiency using a pocket breath test analyser (BreatH2 meter; Europa Scientific, Cheshire, England). Lactulose was used to check for hydrogen-producing capacity. RESULTS: There were 14 males and 10 females in the study, consisting of five Malays, 14 Chinese and five Indians. Mean age was 9.9 years. Seventeen of the 24 children (70.8%) with recurrent abdominal pain who underwent the breath hydrogen test had a positive result. In those with a negative result, subsequent lactulose administration resulted in a positive rise in breath hydrogen. None of the 24 children developed abdominal pain during the test. All the Indian subjects, 71.4% of the Chinese subjects and 40% of the Malay subjects with recurrent abdominal pain had lactase deficiency. The proportion of boys and girls with lactase deficiency was similar (71.4 vs 70.0%, respectively). There was no significant difference between lactase sufficient and deficient children with recurrent abdominal pain with regard to sex, age, ethnic group and clinical features. Following a lactose-free diet, none of the children in the breath hydrogen positive and negative groups reported any appreciable difference in pain symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of lactase deficiency among this group of Malaysian children with recurrent abdominal pain was high, but lactase deficiency did not appear to play an important role in causing the symptoms.     

Lactase persistence-related genetic variant: population substructure and health outcomes

Lactase persistence is an autosomal-dominant trait that is common in European-derived populations. A basic tendency for lactase persistence to increase from the southeast to the northwest across European populations has been noted, but such trends within countries have not been extensively studied. We genotyped the C/T(-13910) variant (rs4988235) that constitutes the putatively causal allele for lactase persistence (T allele representing persistence) in a general population sample of 3344 women aged 60-79 years from 23 towns across Britain. We found an overall frequency of 0.253 for the C (lactase non-persistence) allele, but with considerable gradients of decreasing frequency from the south to the north and from the east to the west of Britain for this allele. Daily sunlight was positively related to C (non-persistence) allele prevalence. However, sunlight exposure and latitude are strongly correlated, and it was not possible to identify which is the primary factor statistically underlying the distribution of lactase persistence. The C/T(-13910) variant (rs4988235) was not related to drinking milk or bone health (although drinking milk itself was protective of bone health), and was essentially unrelated to a wide range of other lifestyle, health and demographic characteristics. One exception was general health being rated as being poor or fair, for which there was an odds ratio of 1.38 (1.04, 1.84) for women homozygous for the C allele; on adjustment for latitude and longitude of place of birth, this attenuated to 1.19 (0.87, 1.64). The lactase persistence variant could contribute to the examination of data for the existence of, and then statistical control for, population substructure in genetic association studies.     

Development of a Screening System for Cystic Fibrosis: Meconium or Blood Spot Trypsin Assay or Both?

ABSTRACT. High blood trypsin levels during early days of life are found in newborns subsequently diagnosed to be affected by cystic fibrosis. The authors compared the validity of the traditional meconium test with the blood immunoreactive trypsin (IRT) assay, carried out in parallel on 113302 neonates from three regions of North-eastern Italy. The meconium test showed a sensitivity of 57.7%. The sensitivity of the IRT test was higher (96.1 %). It was possible to identify by IRT 10 out of 11 false negative CFs at the meconium test. A shortcoming of neonatal IRT, however, is its low specificity; 1.6% of the newborns had to be retested. A new screening policy was therefore proposed and carried out on 69 640 newborns: the Lactase test (LACT) on meconium was introduced as a complementary assay in IRT positive newborns. If LACT exceeded 2 U/g dry meconium, a confirmatory sweat test was immediately requested; if LACT test was negative and IRT exceeded 85 μg/I, IRT was repeated. Postneonatal retesting values above 25 μg/l required a sweat test. As a result, the estimated prevalence of CF was 1:4352, the sensitivity was 93.3%; the specificity turned out to be 99.6%, considering all false positive newborns investigated with retesting and/or direct sweat test.