Table 1.
Demographics, clinical characteristics and psychological states of study subjects
| Features | IBS-D patients | Controls | P value |
| n | 30 | 15 | NA |
| Age (yr) | 30.0 (28.0, 41.3) | 28.0 (25.0, 37.0) | 0.299 |
| Gender (male:female) | 22:8 | 11:4 | 1.000 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 23.8 ± 3.9 | 22.4 ± 2.8 | 0.219 |
| Duration of disease (yr) | 7.5 (1.5, 10.1) | NA | NA |
| IBS-SSS | 261.7 ± 40.4 | NA | NA |
| Severity of abdominal pain | 1.0 (1.0, 2.0)b | 0.0 (0.0, 0.0) | < 0.001 |
| Frequency of abdominal pain | 2.0 (1.0, 4.0)b | 0.0 (0.0, 0.0) | < 0.001 |
| BSFS score | 6.0 (6.0,6.0)b | 4.0 (4.0, 4.0) | < 0.001 |
| HADS anxiety score | 6.0 (3.0, 9.0)b | 2.0 (1.0, 4.0) | 0.002 |
| HADS depression score | 4.0 (1.0, 7.3) | 2.0 (2.0, 5.0) | 0.350 |
| VSI score | 34.0 (17.0, 45.3)b | 5.0 (2.0, 15.0) | < 0.001 |
b
P < 0.01 vs controls. The data are presented as the mean ± SD or the median (Q1, Q3). IBS-D: Irritable bowel syndrome with predominant diarrhea; IBS-SSS: IBS symptom severity scale; BSFS: Bristol stool form scale; HADS: Hospital anxiety and depression scale; VSI: Visceral sensitivity index; NA: Not applicable.