title: [Prevalence of lactose malabsorption in Roman school children. A H2 breath test study using a cow's milk].
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of lactose malabsorption in a population of 75 (43 males, 32 females) apparently healthy school-children using the H2 breath test with cow's milk. The children, ranging in age from 8 years and 6 months to 15 years and 2 months (mean: 11 years, 7 months) were divided into 2 age groups: Group I (no. = 26): age < 11 years and Group II (no. = 49): age > 11 years. After on overnight fasting, lasting at least 8 hours, samples of expired air were collected at 0 time and at 30-min intervals following the administration of 250 ml cow's milk for a total time of 3 hours. The H2 breath concentration was then measured by gas chromatography (Micro-Lyzer Quintron Instruments Company mod. 12). A net rise of more than 20 ppm H2 was considered as lactose malabsorption. Subjects with symptoms such as excessive flatulence, abdominal pain, or diarrhoea, were considered as lactose intolerant. Two-hundred and 50 ml of cow's milk (12 g of lactose) was considered a more physiological vehicle than the traditional lactose aqueous solution. The examined children, all on free diet, showed a fasting alveolar from 0 to 43 ppm (mean +/- SD = 7.9 +/- 7.6). Sixty-six children out of 70 (93.3%), who completed the test had a total absorption of lactose. Two out of 4 children with lactose malabsorption originated from areas (East Africa and Central America), where a high incidence of this metabolic disorder is a characteristic findings.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: I Clinica Pediatrica, Università degli Studi La Sapienza di Roma.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pitzalis
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Fancellu
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Deganello
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Galastri
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonamico
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Imperato
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001944:Breath Tests; D002648:Child; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005285:Fermentation; D006801:Humans; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000502:physiology; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D007785:Lactose / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D006859:Hydrogen; D007785:Lactose
vernacular_title: Prevalenza del malàssorbimento del lattosio in una popolazione scolastica romana. Un'indagine mediante H2 breath test con latte vaccino.