Shortened telomere is a potential evidence to diagnose irritable bowel syndrome

What is it about?

We investigated the relationship between leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) using quantitative polymerase chain reaction in independent cohorts, including 205 patients with IBS and 189 healthy controls. Patients with IBS presented significantly shorter LTL when compared to healthy controls. This implies that shortened telomere is a potential evidence to diagnose irritable bowel syndrome.

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Why is it important?

Telomere shortening is an accepted indicator of aging. Many studies have investigated an association between leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and psychiatric disorders. Mental or psychological factors could be an important cause of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, there are currently few research evaluating correlations between LTL and IBS. This is the first study that investigates the relationship between leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This study showed significantly shorter telomeres in patients with IBS. Our findings suggest that LTL may hold the potential to serve as a predictor of IBS diagnosis.