Genetic Factors in IBS?

[falcon]

Posted: 06 Feb 2010 04:42 PM PST

More than 2,300 people in Walkerton, Ontario developed GI infections from drinking contaminated water in the year 2000. Of these, more than 1 in 3 (36%) developed IBS.

When IBS occurs after a sudden bout of infection in the stomach and intestines it is known as post-infectious (PI) IBS. Risk factors noted in the past for developing PI-IBS include the severity of the initial illness; host factors at the time of infection; and the harmfulness of the infecting organism

In a study to be published in the March issue of the journal Gastroenterology, a group of investigators from Canada looked at whether there might be a genetic difference that could make some of the people in Walkerton more susceptible to developing IBS. They studied data from infected individuals, comparing 228 who reported PI-IBS with 581 who did not develop PI-IBS.

The researchers in this study found variations in certain genes that might increase the risk of developing PI-IBS.

Source: Vallini A-C, et al. Genetic risk factors for post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome following a waterborne outbreak of gastroenteritis. Gastroenterology. Article in Press. 2010.

http://www.iamibs.org/