The Association Between Adenovirus Infection and Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Case-Control Study in Iran

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder. The precise etiology of this disease is not clear, but some reports have indicated the role of infectious agents in the incidence of the disease.

Because of the potential role of viruses in the incidence of the disease, this study aimed to evaluate and compare the frequency of colonic adenovirus infection in both IBS and control subjects.

Stool and serum samples were collected from 40 IBS patients and 40 healthy individuals. Immunochemical detection of adenovirus (anti-adenoviral IgG and IgM monoclonal antibodies) was performed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Using a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), adenovirus viral load was evaluated in the stool samples. Data were analyzed using SPSS software.

Differences among the mean concentrations of anti-adenovirus IgM and anti-adenovirus IgG in IBS patients and healthy controls were not statistically significant (P = 0.764 and P = 0.910, respectively). Adenovirus DNA was detected in 37 patients (92.5%) and 35 healthy controls (87.5 %) with varying viral loads ranging from 0.150 to 0.225 (according to the standard curve). Viral loads showed no significant difference between the 2 groups (P = 0.958). Our findings showed no significant relationship between the presence of adenovirus infection and IBS.

Adenovirus DNA is almost always detectable in stool samples of IBS and control subjects. Adenoviruses are unlikely to play a significant role in the incidence of IBS. However, further studies are necessary to confirm our results or clarify the role of other gastrointestinal viruses in IBS.