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Updated: Jan 29, 2026
Dynamic Adhesion Assay for the Functional Analysis of Anti-adhesion Therapies in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Published on: September 20, 2018
Overlapping irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease
Prianka Gajula1, Eamonn M Quigley2
1Department of Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College, Houston, TX, USA.
Irritable bowel-type symptoms in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients may indicate true irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or subclinical IBD. Further research is needed to define irritable inflammatory bowel syndrome (IIBS) and guide management.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Internal Medicine
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Irritable bowel-type symptoms are common in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in apparent remission.
- The cause of these symptoms, satisfying Rome IV criteria for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), is debated: true IBS or subclinical IBD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore risk factors and pathogenesis of IBS-type symptoms in IBD patients.
- To propose a management approach for this phenomenon, termed irritable inflammatory bowel syndrome (IIBS).
Main Methods:
- Review of recent studies on subtle inflammatory changes in IBD patients with IBS-type symptoms.
- Utilizing sensitive biomarkers (calprotectin, lactoferrin), pan-endoscopy, and biopsy to exclude subclinical inflammation.
Main Results:
- Despite sensitive testing, IBS-type symptoms remain prevalent in IBD patients, suggesting a complex etiology.
- Anxiety correlates highly with IBS symptoms, a known trigger for IBS.
Conclusions:
- The distinction between IBS superimposed on IBD and subclinical IBD remains challenging.
- The term irritable inflammatory bowel syndrome (IIBS) is proposed for this clinical entity pending further etiological and pathological definition.
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