Table 1.
Demographic and clinical baseline characteristics of participants.
| HS (n = 16) | IBS-D-NT (n = 25) | IBS-D-DSCG (n = 18) | ANOVA p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 32.1 ± 2.3 | 37.4 ± 2.1 | 42.5 ± 3.8 | 0.137 |
| Gender, female:male (% female) | 7:9 (44%) | 17:8 (68%) | 11:7 (61%) | 0.225 |
| Holmes-Rahe scale | 100 (65.3–145.0) | 138.0 (57.0–237.0) | 116.5 (63.5–260.5) | 0.511 |
| Cohen scale | 14 (13–17) | 23 (20–32) | 19 (16–30) | <0.001 |
| Beck’s index | 1.8 ± 0.4 | 13.6 ± 2.9 | 8.3 ± 1.5 | <0.001 |
| Intensity of abdominal pain | – | 4.0 (4.0–5.8) | 4.4 (2.5–6.3) | NA |
| Stool Form Bristol Score | 3.6 (3.1–4.1) | 5.0 (5.0–5.4) | 5.0 (5.0–5.5) | <0.001 |
| Number of bowel movements per day | 1 (0.5–1.9) | 3 (2.2–3.9) | 3 (2.1–3.0) | <0.001 |
ANOVA: analysis of variance; HS: healthy subjects; IQR: interquartile range; IBS-D: diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome; IBS-D-NT: no treatment; IBS-D-DSCG: disodium cromoglycate treatment; SE: standard error; Holmes-Rahe scale: 0–150, low stress; 151–300, moderate stress; >300 severe stress. Beck scale: low depression (10–18), moderate (19–29) and severe (≥30); NA: not applicable. Stool consistency: 1 (hard) to 7 (entirely liquid). All values are expressed as median (IQR), except age and Beck’s index, which are expressed as mean ± SE.