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Role of fructose-sorbitol malabsorption in the irritable bowel syndrome

1990; Elsevier BV; Volume: 99; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0016-5085(90)90621-7

1528-0012

G.F. Nelis, M.A.P. Vermeeren, Wim Jansen,

Helicobacter pylori-related gastroenterology studies

Because even after low dO6e6 of fructose and sorbitol, fructose-sorbitol malabsorption has been found in a high number of patients with the irritable bowel syndrome, an etiological role of fructose-sorbitol malabsorption in the irritable bowel syndrome has been suggested.However, these studies have been uncontrolled.Therefore, a controlled study of fructose-sorbitol malabsorption in the irritable bowel syndrome compared with healthy controls was performed.Seventy-three patients, 23 men and 50 women with a mean age 43.1 f 1.7 years (range, 18-88 years) with the irritable bowel syndrome were compared with 87 age-and sex-matched control subjects.Fructose-sorbitol malabsorption was determined by a breath-hydrogen test (Lactoscreen, Hoek Loos, Schiedam, The Netherlands) following an oral load of 25 g fructose and 5 g sorbitol after a IO-hour fast.Fructose-sorbitol malabsorption, as shown by an H, peak of 20 ppm over basal values, was found in 22 (30.1%) of the patients and 35 (40.2%) of the control subjects.With a lower peak level of 10 ppm over basal values, these percentages were 45.2% and 57.5%, respectively.Also, the highest H, peak values (15.2 t 2.3 ppm vs. 21.5 f 2.8 ppm), time to reach peak levels (110.7 + 5.4 min vs. 107.1 + 5.9 min), and area under the H, curve (1310 + 219 ppmmin vs. 1812 + 255 ppmmin) did not discriminate between patients and controls.During the test, symptoms developed in 31 of 70 patients and in 3 of 85 control subjects (P =E 0.0001).Symptomatic patients did not differ from asymptomatic patients regarding the presence or absence of fructose-sorbitol malabsorption, H, peak values, and area under the curve.No differences could be identified between male and female patients or controls.In conclusion, fructosesorbitol malabsorption is frequently seen in patients with irritable bowel syndrome, but this is not different from observations in healthy volunteers.Therefore, fructose-sorbitol malabsorption does not seem to play an important role in the etiology of irritable bowel syndrome.