Background/Aims:Visceral hypersensitivity is thought to be an etiologic factor of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The aim of this study was to determine (1) whether rectal hypersensitivity is a reliable biological marker of IBS, and (2) which symptoms are associated with rectal hypersensitivity.
Methods:Rectal barostat was performed in 21 normal controls (30.4 +/- 3.7 yrs., M:F = 16:5) and 29 IBS patients (37.0 +/- 10.4 yrs., M:F = 16:13), according to Rome II criteria. The rectal perception was evaluated using the ascending protocol. All subjects were asked to report their symptoms in terms of (1) the first sense of distension, (2) the sense of defecation, (3) urgency, (4) the maximum tolerable distension.
Results:The mean maximum tolerable thresholds of IBS patients was significantly lower than that of the controls (p<0.001). The cutoff value of the maximum tolerable step as a threshold of rectal hypersensitivity was 30 mmHg with a maximal accuracy of 84%. The age, sex, symptom severity, and subtype of IBS did not differ depending on the presence or absence of rectal hypersensitivity (p>0.05). Also, individual symptoms were not associated with the rectal hypersensitivity.
Conclusions:Rectal hypersensitivity is a reliable biologic marker to differentiate IBS from normal subjects. However, individual symptoms were not associated with rectal hypersensitivity.
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