Obesity Contributes to Inflammation in Patients with IBS via Complement Component 3 and C-Reactive Protein

Abstract

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is usually a lifelong state that disturbs the digestive system. IBS has been linked to low-grade inflammation and the release of inflammatory mediators into the bloodstream. This could be associated with the degree of obesity presented by patients with IBS. Reports imply that IBS is more frequent in obese patients than in the overall population, with a prevalence of up to 31%. Here, we evaluated the serum levels of immunological and inflammation molecules and their correlation with Body Mass Index in IBS patients and the healthy control (HC). Seventy-nine serum samples of the IBS patients and thirty-five of the HC group were analyzed to determine the levels of each molecule and compare them with their BMI. Serum levels of C3 and C4 were significantly increased in IBS patients. C3 and C4 levels were higher in IBS-M and IBS-D subtypes compared with the HC group. When patients were grouped by BMI, a positive correlation between serum C3 (r = 0.49, p < 0.0001) and CRP (r = 0.40, p < 0.001) levels was found. Our results show, for the first time, a correlation between immunological molecules and BMI in IBS patients, suggesting that the inflammatory nature of obesity could contribute to the development of the symptoms in IBS through the stimulation and release of proteins as complement components and CRP.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Among Jordanian Adults: Uncovering the Underdiagnosed and The Triggering Factors

“…The gastrointestinal reflexes may be impacted by these processes 57 , and obese individuals with IBS were shown to have higher levels of inflammatory biomarkers than controls. 58 Previous results proved that smoking inhibits the development of IBS by decreasing gut mucosal inflammation and delaying gastrointestinal tract motility 59 ; this could be linked to the fact that in our investigation, smokers with greater BMI had considerably reduced risks of developing IBS. According to a study 3 , severe sleeplessness in non-smokers was substantially associated with a greater likelihood of developing IBS.…”

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) among Lebanese adults: unidentified IBS and associated factors

“…A prospective cohort study conducted in Norway showed that weight loss can alleviate IBS symptoms [ 73 ]. In addition, inflammatory processes have been linked to IBS, these processes can alter the gastrointestinal reflexes [ 74 ] and higher levels of inflammatory biomarkers were detected in obese patients with IBS in comparison with controls [ 75 ]. However, smokers with higher BMI in our study were significantly associated with lower odds of having possible IBS; this finding can be related to the hypothesized role of cigarette smoking in preventing the development of IBS by reducing the gut mucosal inflammation [ 76 ] and slowing the gastrointestinal tract motility [ 77 ].…”