1. Disaccharide digestion and maldigestion.
- Author
-
Gudmand-Høyer E and Skovbjerg H
- Subjects
- Adult, Alaska epidemiology, Canada epidemiology, Disaccharidases deficiency, Europe epidemiology, Greenland epidemiology, Humans, Intestine, Small ultrastructure, Inuit, Microvilli enzymology, Prevalence, Carbohydrate Metabolism, Inborn Errors ethnology, Carbohydrate Metabolism, Inborn Errors metabolism, Disaccharidases physiology, Disaccharides pharmacokinetics, Malabsorption Syndromes ethnology, Malabsorption Syndromes metabolism
- Abstract
All food carbohydrates are hydrolysed to monosaccharides before transport across the microvillus membrane. The digestion of disaccharides and some oligosaccharides is undertaken by a number of small intestinal brush border enzymes: sucrase-isomaltase, lactase phlorizinhydrolase, maltase-glycoamylase and trehalase. The distribution of the enzymes in the small intestine has been investigated. Different disaccharide maldigestion syndromes have been described. Lactase deficiency in adults is a condition found in the majority of inhabitants of the world. However, the prevalence varies widely between different populations. Sucrase-isomaltase deficiency is a very rare congenital condition except in Greenland. Trehalose maldigestion is likewise rare outside Greenland. Different hypotheses regarding the molecular background of the maldigestion syndromes are discussed.
- Published
- 1996
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