Investigation of serum macrophage migration inhibitor factor and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 levels in irritable bowel syndrome.

Abstract

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a functional disorder of the bowel, has been thought to result from immune activation. The aim of this study was to evaluate macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MMIF) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) levels in IBS patients. We enrolled 30 IBS patients and 30 healthy controls. The MMIF and MCP-1 levels of all patients and controls were detected using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Serum MMIF and MCP-1 levels were markedly higher in IBS patients than in controls. White blood cell, neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, eosinophil, and basophil counts did not differ significantly between groups. These results show that alterations in MMIF and MCP-1 affect the proinflammatory process. They also suggest that MMIF and MCP-1 may play a substantial role in IBS.