For the first time, researchers have discovered that a specific form of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is associated with exhaustion of the immune system.
The research focused on patients with various types of irritable bowel disease, following followed them for a year and comparing blood samples. Patients were studied both when they experienced symptoms, and when they were symptom free.
At the end of the research period, all patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS were found to have exhaustion in their T-cells.
“For the first time, we’ve discovered that in patients with irritable bowel syndrome associated with diarrhea, their T-cells seem to be ‘out of puff’ or run down,” says Dr. Patrick Hughes, Senior Lecturer with the Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, and a member of the Nutrition & Metabolism theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI). “These normally active immune cells are less responsive to stimulation, secreting fewer mediators and dividing less. This type of response is often observed in chronic infections.”
Dr. Hughes adds that more research is needed to see how IBS and stress are linked. While it is known that cortisol and stress hormones can inhibit the immune system, T-cell exhaustion had not been previously described in IBS patients.
“Irritable bowel syndrome takes a real toll on patients,” Dr Hughes says. “It can affect people in the prime of their lives, it’s a chronic disease that can last a long time, and the treatments currently available are poor. Anything we can do to better understand the disease and to help reduce its debilitating effects on patients will be welcome.”
