Imbalance of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-8 and interleukin-10 production evokes barrier dysfunction, severe abdominal symptoms and psychological disorders in patients with irritable bowel syndrome-associated diarrhea

• Published in: Molecular medicine reports Vol. 12; no. 4; pp. 5239 - 5245
• Main Authors: ZHEN, YANBO, CHU, CHUANLIAN, ZHOU, SHIQING, QI, MING, SHU, RONGHUA
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greece D.A. Spandidos 01.10.2015; Spandidos Publications; Spandidos Publications UK Ltd
• Subjects: Abdomen; abdominal symptoms; Adolescent; Adult; Age; Anxiety; Constipation; Cytokines; Cytokines - metabolism; Diarrhea; Diarrhea - diagnosis; Diarrhea - etiology; Diarrhea - metabolism; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Female; Females; Gene Expression; Health aspects; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Interleukin 10; Interleukin 8; Interleukin-10 - metabolism; Interleukin-8 - metabolism; Interleukins; Intestine; Irritable bowel syndrome; Irritable Bowel Syndrome - complications; Irritable Bowel Syndrome - genetics; Irritable Bowel Syndrome - metabolism; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Male; Males; Mental depression; Middle Aged; Necrosis; occludin; Occludin - genetics; Occludin - metabolism; Peripheral blood mononuclear cells; Proteins; psychological factor; Standard deviation; Stress, Psychological - etiology; Studies; Thyroid gland; Tumor necrosis factor; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Tumor necrosis factor-α; Young Adult; China; United States > US
• ISSN: 1791-2997; 1791-3004
• DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2015.4079

The present study aimed to explore the correlation between cytokine expression of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-8 and IL-10 with occludin production, abdominal symptoms and psychological factors in patients with irritable bowel syndrome-associated diarrhea (IBS-D). A total of 42 IBS-D patients and 20 healthy controls were included, which were recruited from QiLu Hospital in China. ELISA and immunohistochemical analysis were performed for evaluating the cytokines (TNF-α, IL-8 and IL-10) and occludin protein levels in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of all subjects. In addition, the abdominal symptoms and psychological status were assessed in IBS-D patients. Levels of TNF-α and IL-8 in the PBMCs of patients with IBS-D were significantly higher than those in the controls (P<0.001 and P=0.007, respectively), while IL-10 levels were significantly reduced in patients with IBS-D (P=0.047). Occludin production was significantly reduced in patients with IBS-D as compared with that in the controls (P<0.001). In patients with IBS-D, levels of TNF-α and IL-8 were negatively correlated with occludin levels (r=−0.34, P=0.028; r=−0.52, P<0.001, respectively). IL-10 showed a negative correlation with occludin production (r=0.05, P=0.748). Furthermore, TNF-α, IL-8 and IL-10 levels were significantly correlated with symptoms scores (r=0.74, P<0.001; r=0.55, P<0.001; r=−0.80, P<0.001, respectively) in patients with IBS-D. Within the IBS-D group, TNF-α expression was significantly increased in patients with a self-rating depression scale (SDS) score ≥50 (P=0.004) as compared with that in patients with an SDS score <50. Furthermore, IL-8 was significantly increased in IBS-D patients with a self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) or SDS score ≥50 (P=0.016, P=0.008, respectively) as compared with that in patients scoring <50. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggested that in IBS-D, an imbalance of cytokine production evoked colonic epithelial barrier dysfunction, abdominal symptoms and psychological disorders.