Lactose malabsorption in children with celiac disease and healthy children

Purpose. Lactose malabsorption (LM) can be congenital, primary, or secondary. Celiac disease (CD) is a secondary cause of lactose malabsorption. This study aimed to determine lactose malabsorption frequency using a lactose hydrogen breath test (LHBT) in children with celiac disease and healthy children. Materials and methods. The study included 64 children with CD and 52 healthy controls. Celiac patients were divided into groups as newly diagnosed and followed celiac patients. The latter were divided into groups as compliance or noncompliance with gluten-free diet (GFD). LHBT was performed using a gas analyser with a 1-ppm sensor sensitivity of hydrogen levels of 0–500 ppm. Results. Mean age of the children was 10.4 ± 4.5 years. Sixteen of the patients had newly diagnosed celiac disease, and 24 (50%) were compliant with GFD. LHBT results were positive in 62.5% of the newly diagnosed CD patients, 33.3% of those compliant with GFD, 54.2% of those non-compliant with GFD, and 19.2% of controls. A significantly higher proportion of newly diagnosed CD (62.5%) and non-compliant with GFD (54.2%) had positive LHBT results than controls (19.2%) (p=0.002 and p=0.003, respectively). The body mass index z scores of the children with LHBT positivity were significantly lower than others in both healthy children and children with CD (p<0.001, p=0.041, respectively). Conclusion. In our study, the frequency of LHBT positivity was significantly higher in celiac patients with positive celiac serology.LHBT identified mucosal damage as indirect in celiac disease. Lactose malabsorption is more common in children who have low body mass index