Background: The purpose of the study was to evaluate whether maldigestion o
f trehalose causes abdominal symptoms and which available diagnostic method
best distinguishes intolerant from tolerant subjects, Methods: A 25-g oral
trehalose load test was performed in 64 subjects. The 19 experiencing clea
r symptoms constituted the trehalose-intolerant subjects. Changes from base
-line levels of blood glucose, breath hydrogen, and methane and symptoms we
re recorded after the test. Trehalase activity was determined in serum and
on a duodenal biopsy specimen obtained by endoscopy. Results: Intolerant su
bjects were best differentiated from tolerant subjects by changes in breath
gases (hydrogen and methane) and duodenal trehalase to sucrase ratio. The
change in breath gases correlated inversely with duodenal trehalase activit
y, duodenal trehalase to sucrase ratio, and plasma trehalase activity. The
correlation between serum and duodenal trehalase activities was on the orde
r of 0.6. Two subjects were found to have trehalase deficiency. Conclusions
: It is obvious that trehalose maldigestion can cause symptoms similar to t
hose of lactose maldigestion and intolerance. Three factors control the gen
esis of symptoms: 1) the activity of small-bowel trehalase: if it is low, t
rehalose is maldigested and more trehalose is passed into the colon; 2) the
maldigested trehalose, which causes osmotic water flow into the colon, res
ulting in loose stools and diarrhea; and 3) most importantly, the microflor
a of the colon, from which symptoms will arise if there are bacteria capabl
e of producing gases from maldigested trehalose. If colonic bacteria cannot
produce gases, then distention of the abdomen and intestinal gas expulsion
as eructations and flatus will not occur.