Brachyspira and intestinal allergy-like immune reactions in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects 5-10% of the adult population, and is associated with profound reduction in quality of life and high costs for society.

Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms after food intake are present in the majority of patients, but the underlying mechanisms are not well known.

My research group has recently demonstrated colonization of a specific gut pathogen, Brachyspira, in the colon in almost one third of patients with IBS, but not in healthy subjects. This was associated with a local allergy-like response in the colonic mucosa of the patients.

Hence, we hypothesize that a key mechanism through which Brachyspira infection can cause symptoms in IBS is by inducing loss of tolerance to different food items through local allergy-like reactions in the gut.

We will test this hypothesis in mechanistic studies and in clinical trials, with the potential to develop new treatment options for large groups of patients with IBS.

The project consists of three parts:Detailed determination of the pathogenetic relevance of Brachyspira for symptom generation in IBS using a comprehensive systems biology approach.Characterization of local immune responses in the GI tract to food antigens in IBS patients with and without Brachyspira infection using advanced imaging.Verification of the clinical relevance of Brachyspira infection in IBS patients with and without intolerance to food antigens by dietary and drug interventions.