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New research from the University of Newcastle has found that people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) show detectable biological changes, challenging the long-held perception that the condition lacks a physical basis.
The large-scale systematic review and meta-analysis combined data from 124 studies involving nearly 15,000 people. It found that individuals with IBS exhibit signs of low-grade inflammation and immune system activation compared to healthy individuals.
The study also identified that certain immune markers in the blood may help distinguish between IBS subtypes. People with IBS were found to have slightly elevated levels of faecal calprotectin—a marker of inflammation—though significantly lower than levels seen in inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
In addition, those with diarrhoea-predominant IBS showed slightly lower levels of some blood proteins.
University of Newcastle researcher Dr Grace Burns, of HMRI’s Immune Health Research Program, said the findings provided important evidence that IBS had measurable biological features.
“IBS has often been misunderstood as a purely functional disorder,” Dr Burns said. “Our findings show there are subtle but detectable biological changes, particularly involving the immune system.”
The research has important implications for both patients and clinicians. Recognising IBS as a condition with measurable physiological changes may help reduce stigma and reassure patients that their symptoms have a biological basis.
With further research, it may also support more accurate diagnosis, helping doctors distinguish IBS from traditional inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases, and pave the way for more personalised treatment approaches tailored to specific IBS subtypes.
The findings contribute to a growing body of evidence aimed at improving understanding, management, and quality of life for people living with IBS.
‘Serological and faecal markers of irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis’ is published in eBioMedicine.
