Diverticulosis, Symptoms and Colonic Inflammation: A Population-Based Colonoscopy Study.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Inflammation Research
• Colorectal Diseases

Background:

• Low-grade chronic inflammation is hypothesized to contribute to diverticular disease.
• Population-based studies investigating this link are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if diverticulosis, with or without symptoms, is associated with colonic inflammation.
• To analyze histological inflammatory markers and serological C-reactive protein levels in individuals with and without diverticulosis.

Main Methods:

• A nested case-control study involving 254 participants from the population-based colonoscopy (PopCol) study.
• Analysis of colonic histological inflammatory markers and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels.
• Logistic and linear regression models were used for statistical analysis.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in C-reactive protein levels were observed between cases (diverticulosis) and controls (no diverticulosis).
• A trend towards increased cecal lymphoid aggregates was noted in cases, but other histological inflammatory markers showed no association with diverticulosis.
• Neither serological nor mucosal inflammation was associated with symptomatic diverticulosis (abdominal pain, diarrhea) versus asymptomatic controls.

Conclusions:

• Asymptomatic and symptomatic diverticulosis in a general community sample are not associated with colonic mucosal inflammation.
• Alternative explanations for the symptoms of colonic diverticulosis must be explored.