Study, 2010
Why do women with IBS and fibromyalgia or PMDD have similar inflammation patterns?
Women with IBS who also have fibromyalgia, PMDD, or chronic fatigue have higher levels of inflammatory proteins in their blood than women with IBS alone.
What they did
Measured inflammatory proteins in blood from 100 women with IBS plus fibromyalgia, PMDD, or chronic fatigue; 21 women with IBS only; and 54 healthy women the same age.
What they found
All women with IBS had increased levels of two inflammatory proteins (IL-6 and IL-8). The 100 women with IBS plus the other conditions had additional increases in two more inflammatory proteins (IL-1β and TNF-α). The pattern of inflammation did not differ based on which co-condition a woman had.
What it means for you
Women with IBS who also have other conditions seem to have a stronger inflammatory response in their blood than those with IBS alone. This might suggest these conditions share biological mechanisms. This was a single measurement in time, so it cannot show whether inflammation causes the symptoms.
100
women with IBS and fibromyalgia, PMDD, or chronic fatigue
21
women with IBS only
54
healthy controls
About the study
- Original title
- Plasma cytokine profiles in females with irritable bowel syndrome and extra-intestinal co-morbidity
- Authors
- Scully P, McKernan DP, Keohane J et al.
- Journal
- The American journal of gastroenterology
- Year
- 2010
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 100
- What was tested
- None - observational measurement of blood inflammation
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1038/ajg.2010.159
Topics
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