The Role of Colonic Microbiota in Lactose Intolerance

Authors: Zhong Y.¹; Priebe M.G.²; Vonk R.J.²; Huang C-Y.¹; Antoine J-M.³; He T.²; Harmsen H.J.M.²; Welling G.W.²

Source: Digestive Diseases and Sciences, Volume 49, Number 1, January 2004 , pp. 78-83(6)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

In a previous study we observed a clear difference in lactose intolerance symptoms after a 25-g lactose load in two groups of persons with lactase nonpersistence and similar small intestinal lactase activity. From this observation we hypothesized a colon resistance factor. To identify this factor, the microbial composition of fecal samples of the two lactose intolerant groups (one with mild symptoms, n = 16, and one with diarrhea-predominant symptoms, n = 11) was compared using the fluorescent in situ hybridization technique. Large interindividual differences were found in the numbers of total bacteria and main groups of bacteria (CV: 0.65 and 0.64–0.82 respectively). The bacterial numbers were not significantly different between the two groups. A significant negative correlation, however, was found between the individual symptom scores of the intolerant persons and the numbers of total hybridizable bacteria (r_s = -0.42, P = 0.03). The results suggest that an increased number of bacteria might contribute—by means of a higher fermentative capacity—to the reduction of lactose intolerance symptoms.

Keywords: lactose intolerance; colonic microbiota; fluorescent in situ hybridization

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/B:DDAS.0000011606.96795.40

Affiliations: 1: Huaxi School of Public Health, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China 2: University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands 3: Danone Vitapole, Palaiseau Cedex, France

Publication date: 2004-01-01