BACKGROUND & AIMS: Symptoms resembling irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are reported frequently in Crohn's disease (CD) patients in remission. Studies of the mucosal content of serotonin, which is a pivotal neurotransmitter in the gut, suggest that serotonin availability is altered in IBS patients. We aimed to study the role of serotonin in the generation of IBS-like symptoms in CD patients in remission. METHODS: Ileal and colonic biopsy specimens were obtained from 20 CD patients in remission, 10 with and 10 without IBS-like symptoms, and 11 healthy controls. Enterochromaffin cells were counted, and messenger RNA expression levels of tryptophan hydroxylase (TpH)-1 and serotonin reuptake transporter were determined. RESULTS: The levels of mucosal serotonin reuptake transporter expression were significantly higher in the ileum than in the colon, in all groups studied (P < .02). When the ileum and colon were analyzed separately, TpH-1 expression in the colon of CD patients with IBS-like symptoms was found to be significantly higher compared with the 2 other studied groups (controls, P < .005; CD patients without IBS-like symptoms, P < .01). The number of enterochromaffin cells per gland was comparable for the patient groups in the ileum and colon. CONCLUSIONS: CD patients in remission who experience IBS-like symptoms have increased mucosal TpH-1 levels in the colon, suggesting that increased serotonin biosynthesis in the colon plays a role in the generation of the symptoms.
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Symptoms resembling irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are reported frequently in Crohn's disease (CD) patients in remission. Studies of the mucosal content of serotonin, which is a pivotal neurotransmitter in the gut, suggest that serotonin availability is altered in IBSpatients. We aimed to study the role of serotonin in the generation of IBS-like symptoms in CDpatients in remission. METHODS: Ileal and colonic biopsy specimens were obtained from 20 CDpatients in remission, 10 with and 10 without IBS-like symptoms, and 11 healthy controls. Enterochromaffin cells were counted, and messenger RNA expression levels of tryptophan hydroxylase (TpH)-1 and serotonin reuptake transporter were determined. RESULTS: The levels of mucosal serotonin reuptake transporter expression were significantly higher in the ileum than in the colon, in all groups studied (P < .02). When the ileum and colon were analyzed separately, TpH-1 expression in the colon of CDpatients with IBS-like symptoms was found to be significantly higher compared with the 2 other studied groups (controls, P < .005; CDpatients without IBS-like symptoms, P < .01). The number of enterochromaffin cells per gland was comparable for the patient groups in the ileum and colon. CONCLUSIONS:CDpatients in remission who experience IBS-like symptoms have increased mucosal TpH-1 levels in the colon, suggesting that increased serotonin biosynthesis in the colon plays a role in the generation of the symptoms.
Authors: Christopher S Reigstad; Charles E Salmonson; John F Rainey; Joseph H Szurszewski; David R Linden; Justin L Sonnenburg; Gianrico Farrugia; Purna C Kashyap Journal: FASEB J Date: 2014-12-30 Impact factor: 5.191
Authors: Christopher Manzella; Megha Singhal; Max Ackerman; Waddah A Alrefai; Seema Saksena; Pradeep K Dudeja; Ravinder K Gill Journal: Gene Rep Date: 2019-10-29