title: Correlation of serotonin and monoamine oxidase levels with anxiety level in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is generally considered to have a psychogenic component in its physiopathology.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the role of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT), monoamine oxidase (MAO) and anxiety, and to elucidate the relationship between these in patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS.
  
  
  METHODS
  5-HT and MAO activity and anxiety levels were studied in 20 healthy volunteers (aged 18-25 years; all men) and 57 patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS (30-60 years; all men).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The concentrations of 5-HT (0.3 [0.04] microg/ mL) and MAO (15.5 [3.2] U/mL), and the anxiety level score (14.4 [2.9]) were significantly higher (p < 0.001) in patients than in healthy volunteers (0.1 [0.02], 6.4 [1.4] and 3.4 [1.2], respectively). These parameters correlated with each other in both patients and volunteers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated 5-HT and MAO activity and anxiety may play a role in patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU, Varanasi 221 005. rakeshbhu@yahoo.com
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Pandey
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003109:Colonic Diseases, Functional / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D013223:Statistics as Topic
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D012701:Serotonin; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase