Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition affecting 10-15% of the population. While the precise aetiology remains unknown, our group has focused on the contributions of altered gut flora to IBS, including links between acute gastroenteritis and post-infectious IBS (PI-IBS) and the role of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Breath testing and culture of small intestinal asp...

Background: Previous studies have shown that the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is 10% 15% in the general population. IBS is a functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by abdominal pain, abdominal discomfort and disordered defecation associated with a stressful lifestyle. However, the cause of IBS has not been clarified yet. Based on a similar, previous study in Japan, t...

Oral prescription medical foods have long been used in hospital settings but are also appropriate therapies for gastrointestinal disorders in outpatient medical practice. Oral serum-derived bovine immunoglobulin/protein isolate (SBI) has been shown in clinical studies to reduce loose stools and improve stool consistency as well as other symptoms (i.e., abdominal pain, bloating, and urgency) in ...

BACKGROUND Polymorphisms in serotonin re-uptake transporter (SERT or SLC6A4) gene may play role in disturbance in gut function in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between SLC6A4 polymorphism of SERT-P and serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) concentration in IBS as compared with controls. METHODS 150 patients with IBS (Rome-III criteria) a...

BACKGROUND Vasomotor rhinitis (VMR) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are two of the most widespread pathologies in industrialized countries, and they have a substantial impact on health-related quality of life. OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between VMR and IBS to provide evidence to classify VMR and IBS as a sole disorder. METHODS The study included 150 patients from San Salva...

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has been one of the commonly presented gastrointestinal disorders. It is of interest how commonly it presents in the society. Western studies indicated that most population-based IBS prevalences range 10%-15%. It is believed that IBS is prevalent in both East and West countries without a significant prevalence difference. Most recently, the Asia IBS prevalence has...

BACKGROUND Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is associated with other disorders (comorbidity), reduced quality of life and increased use of health resources. We aimed to explore the impact of comorbidity on cost of health care in patients with IBS in general practice. METHODS In this cohort study 208 consecutive patients with IBS (Rome II) were recruited. Sociodemographic data, IBS symptoms, and...

BACKGROUND We estimated the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and its impact on patient-reported health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) in a university-based population aged between 18 and 30 years in Bogotá, Colombia. METHODS The study had a cross-sectional design. Students, faculty, and staff aged 18-30 years of the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia were randoml...

5HTTLPR polymorphism of serotonin transporter yields short (S) and long (L) alleles. SS and LS genotypes are associated with reduced expression of serotonin transporter. This cross-sectional study investigated the association of 5HTTLPR with symptom severity of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Patients with IBS (Rome III) and healthy controls were included. Genomic DNA was extracted from saliva,...

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional disorder of the gastrointestinal system characterized by abdominal pain related to bowel emptying, defecation impairment and abdominal distention. The aim of the study was to objectify lower gastrointestinal system disturbances in IBS patients. Thirty IBS patients and 30 healthy subjects were included in the study. IBS patients were divided into tw...