A genus of gut bacteria called Brachyspira may be responsible for the pain and digestive upset of irritable bowel syndrome. A discovery that could lead to new treatments.
- Biopsies of intestinal mucus from 62 patients with irritable bowel syndrome revealed the presence of a genus of pathogenic bacteria called Brachyspira
- Brachyspira would be present in the intestine of one in three people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome
Although common and not serious, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a bowel function disorder that causes significant discomfort and degrades the quality of life of those who suffer from it. Causing abdominal pain and diarrhea, constipation, or alternating diarrhea and constipation, it still remains a mystery to scientists today. The mechanisms of its appearance are still partly unknown.
A new study published by the journal gut brings answers and with them, the hope of a cure. According to its authors, researchers from the University of Gothenburg (Sweden), a genus of intestinal bacteria called Brachyspira is believed to be linked to irritable bowel syndrome, particularly the form that causes diarrhea.
Bacteria present in one in three IBS patients
The pathogenic bacterial genus Brachyspira is generally not present in the human intestinal flora. In the case of irritable bowel syndrome, the bacteria would be present under the layer of mucus protecting the intestinal surface from fecal bacteria.
“Unlike most other gut bacteria, Brachyspira is in direct contact with cells and covers their surface. I was immensely surprised to find that we were finding more and more Brachyspira in IBS patients, but not in healthy people”explains Karolina Sjöberg Jabbar, lead author of the study.
Rather than performing analyzes of fecal samples, the scientists instead analyzed bacterial proteins in the mucus of biopsies taken from the intestines of 62 patients with irritable bowel syndrome and 31 healthy volunteers.
19 of 62 patients with IBS (31%) presented with Brachyspira in their gut, but the bacterium was not found in any of the samples from the healthy volunteers. Brachyspira was particularly common in patients with IBS and diarrhea. This suggests that the bacterium “could be present in about a third of people with IBS”say the researchers.
The researchers now wish to confirm this link between Brachyspira and IBS in a larger study, and determine if it is these pathogenic bacteria that are causing the symptoms. “Our findings could open up whole new avenues for treating and possibly even curing some IBS patients, especially those with diarrhea.”says Magnus Simrén, professor of gastroenterology at the Sahlgrenska Academy of the University of Gothenburg, who participated in the work.
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