Breath test could guide IBS-D diagnosis and use of rifaximin

Key clinical point: Gut microbial composition differed among patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) who were positive vs negative for breath test (IBS-BT+ vs IBS-BT−), with patients who were IBS-BT+ responding better to rifaximin therapy.

Major finding: Beta-diversity differed significantly among patients with IBS-BT+, those with IBS-BT−, and non-IBS healthy controls (P = .005). The IBS Symptom Severity Scores (SSS), Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale scores, and Bristol Stool Form Scale scores decreased significantly after rifaximin treatment in the IBS-BT+ group (all P < .05); however, only IBS-SSS scores decreased significantly in the IBS-BT− group (P = .001).

Study details: The data come from a clinical trial including 176 participants, of which 49 were BT− healthy controls and 127 were patients with IBS-D who were evaluated before and after rifaximin therapy.

,

Disclosures: This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Michigan Medicine-PKUHSC Joint Institute for Translational and Clinical Research. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Source: Liu Z et al. Patients with breath test positive are necessary to be identified from irritable bowel syndrome: A clinical trial based on microbiomics and rifaximin sensitivity. Chin Med J (Engl). 2022;135(14):1716-1727 (Aug 25). Doi: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000002294