Aim:

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional bowel disease, characterized by altered bowel habits and chronic abdominal pain. IBS has an increased association with inflammatory pathologies such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the role of inflammation in the pathophysiology of IBS hasn’t been clarified yet. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the axial skeleton. The aim of our study is to determine the frequency of IBS in AS, and to reveal its relationship with other factors, primarily with disease activity.

Materials and Methods:

145 patients with AS in the rheumatology clinic of Namık Kemal University were included. Along with demographic, clinical and laboratory data of the patients, disease activity and biologic drug use were recorded. The diagnosis and type of IBS were examined according to ROME III criteria.

Results:

Prevalence of IBS in patients with AS was 31.7%. Frequency of IBS was significantly higher in higher disease activity group (BASDAI>4) and in patients treated with biological agents (p values <0.001, 0.010, respectively). IBS was significantly higher in female patients by gender and young patients (<50) by age (p: 0.012 and p: 0.01 respectively).

Conclusion:

IBS, when compared to the normal population, was found to be higher (%31,7) in patients with AS. The relationship between AS disease activity score and IBS suggests the effect of inflammation in pathogenesis. As a result, in patients with AS, especially with high disease activity, gastroenterological complaints should be questioned; and IBS as frequent comorbidity, shouldn’t be ignored in the follow-up.

Keywords: Irritable bowel syndrome, Ankylosing spondylitis, inflammation