title: Sex-Related Differences in Clinical Symptoms, Quality of Life, and Biochemical Factors in Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
abstract: Due to the sex differences in physiological and psychological factors, it can be speculated that clinical presentation of symptoms in male and female patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) might be different.
  
  
  
  To evaluate sex-related differences in clinical symptoms, quality of life, and biochemical factors in IBS.
  
  
  
  Ninety IBS patients (29 men, 61 women (45 premenopausal, 16 postmenopausal)) were recruited from the outpatient clinic of the University Hospital. All the patients met the Rome III Diagnostic Criteria. The IBS severity score system (IBS-SSS), gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, IBS specific quality of life (IBS-QoL), and biochemical factors (IL-17, IL-10, TNFα, malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC)) were assessed.
  
  
  
  Diarrhea predominant IBS (IBS-D) was more common in men (44.8%), whereas constipation-predominant IBS (IBS-C) and alternating bowel habits IBS (IBS-A) were more common in women (39.3, 42.6%, respectively). The women had a greater severity of abdominal distention, rumbling, flatulence, and dissatisfaction with bowel habits as compared with men. The scores of IBS-QoL in women were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those in men. Moreover, pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-17, TNFα) increased, and anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) decreased in women versus men. In addition, there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between pre- and postmenopausal women in the severity of symptoms. All of the GI symptoms and IBS-SSS have a significant negative correlation with IBS-QoL in both men and women.
  
  
  
  Female with IBS reports a greater severity of IBS symptoms, increased inflammatory cytokines, and has an impaired quality of life compared with male.
authors.affiliation: Nutritional Health Research Center, Department of Nutrition, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Goledasht Blvd, Khorramabad, 6813833946, Iran.
authors.forename: Razieh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Choghakhori
authors.affiliation: Nutritional Health Research Center, Department of Nutrition, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Goledasht Blvd, Khorramabad, 6813833946, Iran. abbasnezhad.a@ajums.ac.ir.|Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases Researcher Center, Department of Nutrition, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. abbasnezhad.a@ajums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abbasnezhad
authors.affiliation: Health Research Institute, Diabetes Research Center, Department of Nutrition, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.|Food Security Research Center, Health Research Institute, Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Amani
authors.affiliation: Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases Researcher Center, Department of Nutrition, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Meysam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alipour
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D003248:Constipation / Q000209:etiology*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005414:Flatulence / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000097:blood; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D017697:Premenopause; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D063189:Symptom Assessment; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D020381:Interleukin-17; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D008315:Malondialdehyde
keywords: Clinical symptoms; Inflammatory cytokines; Irritable bowel syndrome; Quality of life; Sex-related differences