Study on the potential link between atopic dermatitis and irritable bowel syndrome

Abstract

Objective To study the possible link between atopic dermatitis (AD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Background Studies have provided some insight that IBS patients are indeed more likely to suffer from certain skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis compared with the healthy controls. Both atopic dermatitis and IBS are brought about by immune dysregulation in genetically susceptible hosts. Patients and methods In all, 140 patients were enrolled in this study and were divided into two groups: group A: 70 IBS patients and group B: 70 healthy controls. IBS patients were diagnosed with IBS by an internal medicine physician. All patients were subjected to complete history taking. Both general and dermatological examinations were performed. Patients with IBS were diagnosed using Roman IV criteria and stool test. The diagnosis of atopic dermatitis is based on the findings of the history and physical examination. Exposure to possible exacerbating factors, such as aeroallergens, irritating chemicals, foods, and emotional stress, has been investigated. Unfortunately, no specific laboratory findings or histologic features define atopic dermatitis. Although elevated IgE levels are found in up to 80% of affected patients, IgE levels are also elevated in patients with other atopic diseases. Determination of atopic dermatitis severity was done using Eczema Area Scoring Index (EASI). SCORAD (SCORing Atopic Dermatitis) is used to assess the extent and severity of eczema. Dermatology Life Quality Index was utilized to measure how much the patient’s skin problem has affected his life over the last week. Pruritus intensity score was utilized to assign a numerical score representing the intensity of patient’s itching on a scale from 0 to 10. Results Atopic dermatitis was higher in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: 17(24.3%) versus 6 (8.6%) in controls (P value 0.012). There was a significant positive correlation between scoring atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) and eczema area scoring index (EASI) (P=0.001). Conclusions There is a strong link and possible common pathological pathways between both AD and IBS.