Premaletha Narayanan1, Anish Philip2, Asif Anchamparuthy Saifudhin Ashraf3
BACKGROUND
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common functional disorder and the pathophysiology of IBS is poorly understood.
The aim of the study is to assess the prevalence of SIBO in patients with IBS using Lactulose Hydrogen Breath Test (LHBT). Diagnosis of IBS was made according to the Rome III Criteria and Lactulose Hydrogen Breath Test (LHBT) was done.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The current hypothesis suggests that altered gastrointestinal motility, disturbance of visceral hypersensitivity and infection may contribute to the symptoms. Gut microbiota and intestinal pathogens are likely to influence the pathogenesis of IBS. Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) is defined as an abnormally high bacterial count (≥105 colony-forming units/mL) in the proximal small intestine.
RESULTS
Out of the 120 patients, 9 were LHBT positive (7.5%) compared to none in controls (p <0.01). IBS patients with LHBT positivity was correlated well with the increased frequency of stools. There was no correlation noted with LHBT positivity and abdominal pain or flatulence or bloating compared to IBS patients who were LHBT negative.
CONCLUSION
These findings may suggest that patients with chronic diarrhoea including IBS should be tested for SIBO. Our study also showed that LHBT positivity is associated with increased frequency of stools and diarrhoea. If SIBO is found in patients with chronic diarrhoea, specific treatment with antibiotics may benefit them.
