Use of the Biphasic ¹³C-Sucrose/Glucose Breath Test to Assess Sucrose Maldigestion in Adults with Functional Bowel Disorders

Table 1

Summary of the clinical features of 11 subjects diagnosed with functional bowel disorder as per gastroenterologist (HTS). All patient subjects experienced recurrent feeling of bloating or visible distension for at least 3 days/month during the prior 3 months and did not meet criteria for a diagnosis of functional dyspepsia, irritable bowel syndrome, or other functional GI disorders. All symptomatic subjects were scored as “severely affected” in accordance with the 2011 Rome Foundation working-team report [14]. None of the asymptomatic control subjects met any criteria for functional bowel syndrome of any type (data not shown).

Number	Gender	BMI	75′ breath test; CGO	Predominant symptoms at least 3 days per month, >6 months [14]	Pertinent history	Stool pattern	Symptoms during or immediately after breath test
1	F	19	83.4	Abdominal pain, bloating, increased flatus; severity: severe	Lactose intolerant (avoids all lactose), poor response to FODMAP diet & VSL number 3	Soft, irregular frequency, difficult to evacuate, no constipation, no diarrhea	None reported beyond baseline FBD symptoms
2	F	25	57.0	Abdominal pain, bloating, increased flatus; severity: severe	Good response to FODMAP diet	Irregular frequency, difficult to evacuate, no constipation, no diarrhea	None reported beyond baseline FBD symptoms
3	M	28	83.8	Abdominal pain, bloating, increased flatus; severity: severe	Some pain relief with eating, but not predictable	Irregular frequency, fluctuating consistency, no constipation, no diarrhea	Increased A/P and bloating near test completion
4	F	42	75.1	Abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, increased flatus;severity: severe	Marginal response to FODMAP diet	Irregular frequency, fluctuating consistency, no constipation, no diarrhea	Increased A/P and bloating near test completion
5	F	31	72.5	Abdominal pain, bloating; severity: severe	Benign other history	Irregular frequency, fluctuating consistency, no constipation, no diarrhea	None reported beyond baseline FBD symptoms
6	M	35	78.3	Abdominal pain, bloating; severity: severe	History of diverticulitis	Irregular frequency, fluctuating consistency, no diarrhea	None reported beyond baseline FBD symptoms
7	F	26	58.0	Abdominal pain, bloating; severity: severe	Benign other history	Irregular frequency, fluctuating consistency, no diarrhea	None reported beyond baseline FBD symptoms
8	F	33	138.8	Abdominal pain, bloating, increased flatus; severity: severe	Lactose intolerant (avoids all lactose)	Irregular frequency, fluctuating consistency, no constipation, no diarrhea	None beyond baseline FBD symptoms
9	F	25	77.3	Abdominal pain, bloating; severity: severe	History of rectal carcinoid, resolved	Irregular frequency, fluctuating consistency, no constipation, no diarrhea	Increased A/P and bloating near test completion
10	F	25	75.4	Abdominal pain, bloating; severity: severe	Benign other history	Irregular frequency, no constipation, no diarrhea	None beyond baseline FBD symptoms
11	M	20	45.6	Abdominal pain, bloating, increased flatus (significant); severity: severe	Good response to low carbohydrate diet, strong family history of similar issues	Increased frequency, frequent loose stool (not frank diarrhea), no constipation	None beyond baseline FBD symptoms