The Serum Levels of CCL2 and CCL16 Expression in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by altered bowel habits and abdominal pain in the absence of a recognizable structural anomaly. The pathogenesis of IBS has been associated with inflammation and the expression of pro-inflammatory chemokines, such as CCL2 and CCL16. Our study aimed to investigate the relationship between the serum levels of CCL2 and CCL16 and IBS. Additionally, we examined how serum levels of these chemokines relate to IBS subtypes. Methods: Patients with IBS diagnosed according to the Rome III criteria participated in this study (n= 96). Healthy individuals with no history of allergic, autoimmune, chronic or active gastrointestinal infectious diseases were used as controls (n= 44). The serum levels of CCL2 and CCL16 was measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: A significant decrease in the serum levels of CCL16 and CCL2 was observed in the patients with IBS. Additionally, the serum levels of CCL16 in IBS patients with diarrhea (D-IBS) was significantly higher than those with the mixed IBS (M-IBS) subtype. Conclusions: The significant increase in the serum levels of CCL-16 in patients with D-IBS compared to patients with M-IBS suggests that CCL-16 may be used as an immunological biomarker to differentiate between these two subtypes.