Expression of TRP Channels in Colonic Mucosa of IBS-D Patients and Its Correlation with the Severity of the Disease

Aim. Lots of researches have endeavored to elucidate the pathogenetic mechanism of visceral hypersensitivity in order to guide the therapy of diarrhea predominant-irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D). Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels and their role in visceral nociception have been vastly investigated. We investigated the expression of TRP channels in IBS-D colonic biopsies and its correlation with the severity of the disease. Methods. Sigmoid biopsies were obtained from 34 IBS-D patients and 28 healthy controls (HCs). IBS-D was diagnosed according to Rome IV criteria. Their clinical parameters were assessed through questionnaires. Expression of TRPV1, TRPV4, TRPA1, TRPM2, and TRPM8 was evaluated with immunohistology staining. Results. Expression levels of TRPV1, TRPV4, and TRPA1 in the colonic mucosa of IBS-D patients were significantly higher than those in HCs (p < 0.05), while there was no obvious difference of TRPM2 and TRPM8 expression between IBS-D patients and HCs. In addition, the expression levels of TRPV1 and TRPA1, but TRPV4, in the colonic mucosa correlated positively with the severity of diseases (r=0.6303 and 0.4506, respectively, p < 0.05). Conclusions. Expression of TRPV1, TRPA1, and TRPV4 in the colonic mucosa was enhanced in IBS-D patients compared with HCs with the former two correlated with the severity of the disease. TRP channels might be promising biomarkers in the diagnosis and estimate of the severity in IBS-D.

Automated summary

This study investigated the expression of transient receptor potential (TRP) channels in colonic biopsies of diarrhea predominant-irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) patients and its correlation with the severity of the disease. The results showed that the expression levels of TRPV1, TRPA1, and TRPV4 were significantly higher in the colonic mucosa of IBS-D patients compared to healthy controls. Additionally, the expression levels of TRPV1 and TRPA1 correlated positively with the severity of the disease. These findings suggest that TRP channels may serve as promising biomarkers for the diagnosis and assessment of the severity in IBS-D.