Irritable bowel syndrome: are genes to blame?
Luise Heine has been an editor at since 2012. The qualified biologist studied in Regensburg and Brisbane (Australia) and gained experience as a journalist in television, in the Ratgeber-Verlag and in a print magazine. In addition to her work at , she also writes for children, for example for the Stuttgarter Kinderzeitung, and has her own breakfast blog, “Kuchen zum Frühstück”.
More posts by Luise Heine All content is checked by medical journalists.Constantly having diarrhea or constipation - for no physical reason for it - is the definition of irritable bowel syndrome. Swedish researchers have now found a possible cause for the symptoms: It lies in the genes and, by the way, explains why some patients feel better when they do without carbohydrates.
The irritable bowel syndrome, also called Irritial Bowl Syndrome or IBS for short, is not uncommon. Experts estimate that around a tenth of the western population suffers from it. Stress or a disturbed intestinal flora are currently used as possible explanations. "Some sufferers also associate their symptoms with certain foods, especially carbohydrates," explains Mauro D’Amato from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.
Broken sugar scissors
The researcher and his colleagues identified another point that could explain the symptoms: the genes. More precisely, the DNA that codes for an enzyme called sucrase isomaltase. These miniature scissors are usually produced in the intestinal wall and help break down the sugar complex into its components.
People who are intolerant to sucrose do not produce this enzyme, they cannot break down and absorb the sugars. Instead, the bacteria in the large intestine take care of the food source. The result: abdominal pain, cramps or diarrhea. Symptoms that may be familiar to some irritable bowel syndrome patients.
Pure sucrose intolerance is a rare disease. Because it assumes that both copies of the corresponding gene are defective. Much more often there is a defective and a functioning variant of the gene. Affected people then produce sucrase isomaltase, but not enough - especially when the body is confronted with a large load of carbohydrates.
Irritable bowel patients affected twice as often
The Swedish scientists discovered that exactly this gene constellation can be found in many irritable bowel patients when they genetically scanned the more than 1,800 test subjects. Those affected by irritable bowel syndrome were almost twice as likely to have the genetic defect than the healthy comparison group. That would also explain why diarrhea and the like improve in some patients if they avoid carbohydrates.
"We need new studies to better explore this approach," explains D’Amato. In the long term, the researchers hope to be able to open up new treatment options for at least some of the irritable bowel patients. For example, by using a genetic analysis to determine whether a special diet could alleviate your symptoms.
Source: Henström M. et al .: Functional variants in the sucrase – isomaltase gene associate with increased risk of irritable bowel syndrome; Gut, Nov 2016, doi: 10.1136 / gutjnl-2016-312456
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