HOME
Return to Table of Contents
229 FRUCTOSE MALABSORPTION MAY BE GENDER DEPENDENT AND FAILS TO SHOW COMPENSATION BY COLONIC ADAPTAtION A Szilagyi, P Malolepszy, S Yesovitch, C Vinokuroff , U Nathwani, A Cohen, X Xue Fructose malabsorption is linked with gastrointestinal and other unusual symptoms. Polymers of fructose are also recognized prebiotics. While some prebiotics can self adapt when consumed regularly (resulting in decreased breath hydrogen and symptoms), we wondered whether self adaptation occurs with basic fructose.
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Department of Dietetics and Department of Emergency Medicine, Sir Mortimer B Davis Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec
We evaluated 90 subjects (61 female). Each completed a diet questionnaire targeting fructose for 3 days prior to test and underwent a 25 g fructose challenge. Breath hydrogen and quantified symptom scores were recorded. Comparisons for sum of 3hr breath hydrogen (BH2) (positive 10 parts/million above baseline) and graded total symptom scores (TSS) were evaluated with the Mann-Whitney U test. Spearman's correlation coefficient and chi-squared or Fisher's exact test were used as appropriate.
Malabsorption occurred in 29 (32.2%) and low grade symptoms were recorded without malabsorption in 30 (33%). Women complained of symptoms more frequently (p=0.04) and exhibited more fructose malabsorption (p=0.0527). Breath hydrogen correlated with symptoms (r=0.0516, p=0.0037). Adaptation in fructose maldigesters, defined as a dose dependent reduction in sum of 3hr BH2 and in sum of 3hr TSS with increasing pre-test fructose intake was not observed (Table shown). Mean±sd (and median) ranges are displayed.
| N | Intake g/day | Sum of 3hrBH2ppm | Sum of 3hrTSS |
| 12 | 5.4±2 | 59.2±37.1 | 3(0.5,7) |
| 7 | 14.2±3.2 | 129.3±93.2 | 10(0.0,14) |
| 10 | 28.3±8 | 62,1±22.5 | 4(3,5) |