Genvinset® Lactose Intolerance is a semi-automated in vitro diagnostic kit for the qualitative detection of the polymorphisms -13910 C/T (NCBI dbSNP rs4988235; NM_005915.6:c.1917+326C>T) and -22018 G/A (NCBI dbSNP rs182549; NM_005915.5:c.1362+117G>A) of the MCM6 gene (OMIM: 601806) associated with lactase persistence, in genomic DNA extracted from whole blood, by Real-Time PCR using specific TaqMan® probes technology.
Clinical background
In most human beings, the ability to digest lactose rapidly decreases after the breastfeeding period (primary lactose intolerance). This is due to a reduction in the lactase-phlorizin hydrolase enzyme (LPH), which is responsible for the hydrolysis of lactose to glucose and galactose, sugars which are both easily absorbed in the intestine. However, some individuals maintain the ability to digest lactose as adults.
The frequency of persistence of lactase activity is high in north-European populations (>90% in Sweden and Denmark), whereas it progressively decreases towards the south of Europe and the Middle East (around 50% in France, Spain and some Arabic populations), and is very low in Asian and African populations. Lactose intolerance causes several symptoms that include abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea and gas as the most common, and other wide-ranging symptoms such as nausea, headache, lack of concentration, severe fatigue, muscular and joint pains, etc.
Patients who can benefit from this determination are those referred by a specialist. The results of this test should not be the only ones on which the therapeutic decision is based and should be used as an aid in the diagnosis together with results of other markers of the disease.
Source: manufacturer product information, Blackhills Diagnostic Resources.
