Sucrase-isomaltase Deficiency as a Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional disorder causing troublesome symptoms and reduced quality of life. It affects 10-20% of the population, hence creates large costs for society. About 30-40% of all IBS patients do not benefit from current treatment options. Sucrase-isomaltase (SI) deficiency is an unexplored condition, that may explain symptoms in IBS patients who experience no effect from today's treatments. Currently, a duodenal biopsy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of SI deficiency, however the condition is not well investigated. A 13C-labelled breath test holds promise as a non-invasive alternative, but it has not previously been validated.

This project will address the knowledge gap related to a possible association between SI deficiency and IBS by addressing two research questions that have never been answered before. We aim to:

1. Validate the 13C-labelled breath test as a diagnostic tool by assessing the strength of the association between the breath test and SI activity measured in duodenal biopsies 2. Use the 13C-labelled breath test in a randomized dietary crossover trial comparing a starch and sucrose reduced diet (SSRD) with the standard low-FODMAP diet in IBS patients, to evaluate whether SI activity is associated with dietary changes according to symptom severity and gut microbiota composition