Mesalazine vs. IBS-D: Examining its Impact on Patient Symptoms & Stool Calprotectin Levels

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common disorder of the gastrointestinal system. The study aimed to determine the effect of Mesalazine prescription on patients' symptoms and level of fecal calprotectin in patients with IBS with predominant diarrhea and high fecal calprotectin. Methods: We conducted a double-blinded randomized clinical trial with 90 patients aged 18 to 45. These patients were selected from referrals to the gastroenterology clinic. They were evenly divided into two groups: the Mesalazine group, with an average age of 35.4, and the placebo group, with an average age of 36. The patients in both groups were then monitored for 8 weeks. There were no differences in the distribution of sexes between the two groups. Results: In comparison between before and after Mesalazine therapy in our patients marked a statistically significant effect on the quality-of-life variables (p<0.05), patient’s level of pain (p<0.05), abdominal distension (p<0.05), and calprotectin level (p<0.05) compared to before Mesalazine in patients studied, which showed the effectiveness of this treatment. However, its effect on stool form was not significant (P=0.11). Conclusion: Comparing the two groups after the intervention, the quality of life in patients treated with Mesalazine was significantly higher than in patients of the placebo group. The number of defecations in patients treated with Mesalazine was significantly lower than in patients of placebo groups. Abdominal distention and calprotectin levels were significantly lower in these patients than in patients of the placebo group.