title: Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Peripheral Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications.
abstract: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common functional gastrointestinal disorder, affecting about 10 to 20% of the population in developed countries. The mechanisms underlying the symptoms of this condition are poorly understood. Considered initially as the consequence of abnormal gut motility, visceral hypersensitivity, psychosocial factors and brain-gut axis dysfunction, IBS is now acknowledged as a multifactorial disorder. Specific peripheral mechanisms are involved, including mucosal immune activation, increased intestinal permeability, entero-endocrine cell products, an excess of bile acids, gut dysbiosis. A better understanding of these mechanisms could help develop new and specific therapeutic pathways in patients suffering from IBS.
authors.affiliation: Prof. Dr. Octavian Fodor Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Iulia-Maria
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Crişan
authors.affiliation: 2 Medical Department, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Dan Lucian
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Dumitraşcu
keywords: irritable bowel syndrome; pathogenesis; peripheral mechanisms