title: Stress and gene expression of individuals with chronic abdominal pain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research examining the role of stress in gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms such as chronic abdominal pain (CAP) is controversial. The purpose of this study was to examine the expression of genes involved in metabolic stress and toxicity in men and women with high and low levels of perceived stress with and without CAP.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data and samples were collected and the expression of genes involved in metabolic stress and toxicity was analyzed in 26 individuals who had consented to participate in a natural history protocol. Subjects completed the 10-item Perceived Stress scale (PSS). Fasting participants' peripheral whole blood was collected for proteomic and genomic studies. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) array was used to analyze the expression of 84 key genes involved in human stress and toxicity plus 5 housekeeping genes. Plasma interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1α) protein was quantified via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Interleukin-1 alpha gene (IL1A) was upregulated in females with high stress versus females with low stress by 2.58-fold (95% CI [0.88, 4.28]). IL1A was upregulated in participants with high stress and CAP versus those with low stress and CAP by 3.47-fold (95% CI [1.14, 5.80]).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An upregulation of the gene coding the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1α suggests that the mechanism behind stress-related changes in GI symptoms is pro-inflammatory in nature. The results of this study contribute to the knowledge of the mechanism behind stress-related CAP symptoms and gender differences associated with these disorders.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute-National Institutes of Health Research Scholar, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Ralph Michael
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Peace
authors.forename: Benjamin L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Majors
authors.forename: Nayan S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Arseima Y Del
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Valle-Pinero
authors.forename: Angela C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.forename: Wendy A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Henderson
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000235:genetics*; D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*