About this test
If you experience digestive issues after consuming foods containing gluten, lactose, or fructose, or if your parents suffer from congenital gluten enteropathy (coeliac disease) or lactose intolerance, this test is suitable for you.
Genetic diseases often have a familial pattern, however, not all carriers of specific genes inevitably develop the associated disease. The presence of specific genes is just one aspect of the factors contributing to the development of the disease.
Benefits of lactose intolerance testing
- Total 1 measured parameter
- Results within 15 working days
- Based on the results you can possibly adjust your diet
- A lactose intolerance test can determine if your digestive problems, such as bloating, cramps, diarrhea or gas, are caused by an inability to digest lactose.
- It identifies the presence of genes associated with lactose intolerance.
At what symptoms to undergo screening
Common symptoms of lactose intolerance, which arise after consuming milk or dairy products, include:
- Flatulence (bloating), abdominal pain
- Vomiting, cramps, diarrhoea
- Loss of appetite, weight loss
Notice
This is a genetic test that identifies the presence of genes associated with lactose intolerance.
The definitive diagnosis is determined by a physician, based on further examinations.
What’s inside
Lactose intolerance
What’s measured
What is lactose?
Lactose is one of the fundamental carbohydrates found in milk. Lactose intolerance, also known as hypolactasia, occurs due to a reduction in the activity of the enzyme lactase, responsible for breaking down lactose in the small intestine. Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest the milk sugar lactose, which is a natural part of milk and dairy products. It serves as the primary carbohydrate source in the diet. In the small intestine, lactose is enzymatically broken down by lactase (β-galactosidase) into two monosaccharides: glucose and galactose. In the European population, lactose intolerance is linked to two polymorphisms on the gene responsible for the lactase enzyme. Intolerance to lactose-containing foods is common [1]. Symptoms of lactose intolerance include abdominal pain, flatulence, nausea, bloating, and diarrhoea following the consumption of milk or milk-containing products. These symptoms may be associated with lactose malabsorption, which is the result of low levels of small intestinal lactase.
Genetic testing specifically identifies primary lactase deficiency and is applicable only to certain populations. This test is applicable in populations where the -13910 T/C polymorphism has been linked to lactase persistence [2,3].
What does a lactose intolerance test include?
The test for lactose intolerance, it examines two polymorphisms on the lactase gene (-13910 T > C and -22018 A > G.
Instructions before collection
The result of the genetic test is not affected by adherence to a lactose-free diet. Peripheral blood collection does not need to be performed while fasting and can be performed at any time of the day. The result of the test is not affected by the use of any medications, diets or smoking.
Sources
[1] Suchy FJ, Brannon PM, Carpenter TO, et al. National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference: lactose intolerance and health. Ann Intern Med 2010; 152:792
[2] Baffour-Awuah NY, Fleet S, Montgomery RK, et al. Functional significance of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the lactase gene in diverse US patients and evidence for a novel lactase persistence allele at-13909 in those of European ancestry. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2015; 60:182.
[3] Marton A, Xue X, Szilagyi A. Meta-analysis: the diagnostic accuracy of lactose breath hydrogen or lactose tolerance tests for predicting the North European lactase polymorphism C/T-13910. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2012; 35:429.
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