Immune-mediated food reactions in irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by recurrent abdominal pain and an altered defecation pattern. Depending on the criteria used, it affects between 5 and 10% of the general population and has a serious impact on quality of life. Most patients with IBS show an induction or exacerbation of their symptoms, particularly abdominal pain, after eating certain foods. This raises the question of the role played by food in IBS pathophysiology. In this review, we describe the multiple risk factors of IBS, and we give an overview of the role of food as a trigger of IBS, distinguishing between immune and non-immune reactions to food. We finally highlight recent findings identifying an immune-mediated mechanism underlying food-induced abdominal pain in IBS.