Faecal short-chain fatty acids - a diagnostic biomarker for irritable bowel syndrome?

BMC Gastroenterology

Research Article

Knut Rudi¹  Knut Hestad²  Per G. Farup³ 

[1] Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003,, N-1432, Ås, Norway;Department of Research, Innlandet Hospital Trust, N-2381, Brumunddal, Norway;Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology Management, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7491, Trondheim, Norway;Department of Public Health, Hedmark University College, N-2418, Elverum, Norway;Department of Research, Innlandet Hospital Trust, N-2381, Brumunddal, Norway;Unit for Applied Clinical Research, Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7491, Trondheim, Norway;

关键词: Irritable Bowel Syndrome;    Propionic Acid;    Butyric Acid;    Negative Likelihood Ratio;    Diagnostic Odds Ratio;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12876-016-0446-z

 received in 2015-09-14, accepted in 2016-02-20,  发布年份 2016

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) relies on symptom-based criteria. A valid and reliable biomarker that could confirm the diagnosis is desirable. This study evaluated the properties of faecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) as diagnostic biomarkers for IBS.MethodsTwenty-five subjects with IBS and 25 controls were included in this explanatory case–control study. Stool samples were analysed for SCFA (acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, isobutyric acid, valeric acid, and isovaleric acid) with gas chromatography and reported as mmol/l and molar%. In the search for the best way to distinguish between subjects with and without IBS, the total amount and the amount of each of the SCFA were measured, and the proportions and differences between the SCFA were calculated.ResultsIn the IBS and control group, the mean age was 46.2 (SD 12.9) and 49.2 (SD 14.6), and the number of females was 13/25 (52 %) and 15/25 (60 %) respectively. The difference between propionic and butyric acid (mmol/l) had the best diagnostic properties, the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve was 0.89 (95 % CI: 0.80–0.98) (p < 0.001). With a cut-off value > 0.015 mmol/l indicating IBS, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio were 92 %, 72 %, 3.29, 0.11 and 29.6 respectively. Similar diagnostic properties were shown for all the IBS subgroups.ConclusionsThe study indicated that faecal SCFA could be a non-invasive, valid and reliable biomarker for the differentiation of healthy subjects from subjects with IBS.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Farup et al. 2016