Sensitization to House Dust Mites in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

RATIONALE: House dust mites (HDM) may enter the digestive tract in significant quantities, inducing allergic inflammation of gastrointestinal mucosa.

METHODS: The incidence of sensitization to HDM in Irritable Bowel Syndrome versus healthy individuals was assessed in 90 patients with IBS diagnosed based on the Roman criteria 4 and 60 healthy subjects of comparable gender and age. All patients responded to an initial questionnaire survey and a detailed allergy medical history. An enzyme-linked immunoassay for specific IgE in serum was done for D.Pteronisimus and D.farinae.

RESULTS: 58 patients with IBS (64.44%) and 18 patients (30%) in the control group (p<0.01) had moderate and high level of sensitization to D.pteronisimus and 42 patients with IBS (46.6%) and 17 (28.3%) patients in the control group had similar sensitization to D. Farinae . Simultaneous sensitization to both mites was detected in 35 patients with IBS (38.8%) and only in 6 (10%) patients in the control group (p <0.005). Very high sensitization to these allergens was detected in 2 patients with IBS and none in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS: Sensitization to HDM occurs in patients with IBS significantly more often than in healthy people. HDM is a possible new environmental trigger that contributes to the pathogenic mechanism of IBS in susceptible patients.