Does Psychological Stress contribute to persisting Immune Activation in Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Aims: Persisting low-grade inflammation may contribute to the manifestation of symptoms in at least a subgroup of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We have previously demonstrated an association of symptoms and psychological co-morbidity with cytokine secretion in IBS (Gastroenterology 2007, Mar; 132(3):913–20). It is well known that stress is associated with greater resistance to molecules that normally terminate the inflammatory cascade. We therefore hypothesized that patients with IBS are less susceptible to glucocorticoids which might be partly linked to increased psychological stress. Thus we ai…