Elsevier

The Lancet

Volume 305, Issue 7917, 24 May 1975, Pages 1155-1157
The Lancet

BREATH HYDROGEN AS A DIAGNOSTIC METHOD FOR HYPOLACTASIA

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(75)93135-9Get rights and content

Abstract

Breath hydrogen (H2), collected by endexpiratory sampling, was measured in twenty-five patients with abdominal symptoms or diarrhœa after ingesting 50 g. of lactose. This was compared with established tests of hypolactasia. Fifteen patients with a blood-glucose rise of more than 20 mg. per 100 ml. had less than 4 parts per million (p.p.m.) rise in breath H2 at 2 hours. In contrast, ten patients with blood-glucose rises of less than 20 mg. per 100 ml. had more than a 20 p.p.m. H2 rise (mean 85·8 p.p.m.±S.D. 44·3) at 2 hours. Similarly, two patients with normal jejunal lactase activity had no significant H2 production, whereas six patients with hypolactasia had more than a 20 p.p.m. rise in H2. Symptoms related to milk or lactose ingestion were found to be unreliable. End-expiratory sampling of breath H2 would seem to be a simple, non-invasive, and accurate method of diagnosing hypolactasia, which is also very acceptable to patients. This should make it a valuable tool both in diagnostic gastroenterology and in epidemiological surveys.

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    Present address: New Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

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