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Editorial
. 2025 Feb 28;31(8):101357.
doi: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i8.101357.

Irritable bowel syndrome remains a complex disorder of gut-brain interaction: Too many actors on stage

Raffaele Pellegrino  1 , Antonietta Gerarda Gravina  2
Affiliations
Editorial

Irritable bowel syndrome remains a complex disorder of gut-brain interaction: Too many actors on stage

Raffaele Pellegrino et al. World J Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

The recent study published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology examines the interplay among the neuroendocrine axis, gut microbiota, inflammatory markers, and gastrointestinal symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). By integrating all these factors into a single study, this approach reflects the modern concept of functional gastrointestinal disorders as disorders of the gut-brain interaction to be approached in a multiparametric manner, also incorporating non-gastroenterological elements and extending evaluations to parameters related to the neuroendocrine axis. This invited letter to the editor summarizes the main results of the aforementioned study and highlights its multiparametric approach, including variables not strictly gastroenterological, in the study of IBS, and discusses its strengths and limitations.

Keywords: Biopsychosocial model; Cytokines; Functional gastrointestinal disorders; Gut microbiota; Inflammatory response; Irritable bowel syndrome; Melanocortin system; Mucosal inflammation; Neuroendocrine axis; Serotonergic system.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The microbiota-gut-brain axis. The microbiota-gut-brain axis denotes the bidirectional communications between the central nervous system, the enteric nervous system, the gastrointestinal system, and the gut microbiota. This intricate interplay, when disrupted, underpins many of the pathophysiological elements underlying irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). 5-HT: Serotonin; SCFAs: Short-chain fatty acids.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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