Lactose malabsorption in Khants in western Siberia.
BACKGROUND
We wanted to estimate the prevalence of selective lactose malabsorption (SLM) in Khants, a small Finno-Ugric population living in Western Siberia who have traditionally consumed no milk in adulthood.


METHODS
A total of 80 Khants, aged 8-57 years and living on the middle reaches of the River Ob, were studied. The diagnosis was based on a lactose tolerance test; general malabsorption was excluded by a glucose-galactose tolerance test whenever possible. In six subjects electronmicroscopic examination of the duodenal mucosa was performed.


RESULTS
The prevalence of SLM in the Khants was 94%.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the highest prevalence found in the previous Soviet Union.
Lember
M
M
University of Tartu, Estonia.
Tamm
A
A
Piirsoo
A
A
Suurmaa
K
K
Kermes
K
K
Kermes
R
R
Sahi
T
T
Isokoski
M
M
D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D004386:Duodenum / Q000473:pathology; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D007787:Lactose Intolerance / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D007789:Lactose Tolerance Test; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D015995:Prevalence; D012800:Siberia / Q000453:epidemiology