Thermal hypersensitivity in a subset of irritable bowel syndrome patients

Table 1 Demographic variables for IBS patients and controls

	D-IBS (n = 42)	C-IBS (n = 24)	Controls (n = 52)
Age (mean ± SD)	27.0 ± 6.4	32.5 ± 8.8	27.3 ± 8.0
Sex (female), n (%)	29 (69)	16 (67)	34 (64)
FBDSI	62.8 (23.2)	68.4 (25.3)	2.1 (4.9)
Self-reported race/ethnicity n (%)
White	33 (79)	15 (63)	43 (83)
Black	3 (7)	6 (25)	3 (6)
Hispanic	3 (7)	1 (4)	3 (6)
Asian	3 (7)	2 (8)	3 (6)

D-IBS: Diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome; C-IBS: Constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome. Columns may not sum to 100%, because values were rounded to the nearest 1%. Scores on the Functional Bowel Disorder Severity Index (FBDSI) that share a superscript are different at P < 0.01.

Table 2 HPTh and HPTo for the arm and leg

Groups (n)	Threshold (HPTh)		Tolerance (HPTo)
	Forearm	Calf	Forearm	Calf
Controls (n = 52)	43.2 ± 1.8	45.1 ± 1.7	48.0 ± 1.8	48.1 ± 1.4
Diarrhea (n = 42)	39.1 ± 3.3	41.1 ± 4.0	44.7 ± 3.8	44.9 ± 2.1
Constipation (n = 24)	39.6 ± 3.3	41.3 ± 3.5	45.0 ± 3.7	46.0 ± 3.1
IBS symptom groups
Moderate symptoms (n = 42)	41.6 ± 1.7	43.6 ± 1.9	47.2 ± 1.6	47.0 ± 1.3
Severe symptoms (n = 24)	35.6 ± 1.5	36.9 ± 1.6	40.2 ± 2.1	42.1 ± 1.6

Values represent temperature mean ± SD.

Table 3 Demographic variable for IBS pain subgroups

	Moderate sensitivity (n = 42)	High sensitivity (n = 24)
Age (SD)	28.7 (7.0)	29.1 (7.3)
Sex (female) n (%)	30 (71)	15 (63)
FBDSI	49.3 (9.1)	96.4 (8.7)
	Range 38-72	Range 82-110
Diarrhea subtype n (%)	25 (60)	17 (41)
Constipation subtype n (%)	17 (40)	7 (29)
Self-reported race/ethnicity n (%)
White	30 (71)	18 (37)
Black	9 (21)	0 (0)
Hispanic	1 (2)	3 (75)
Asian	2 (5)	3 (60)

Columns may not sum to 100% because values were rounded to the nearest 1%.