"Millions of people afflicted by irritable bowel syndrome can now be diagnosed quickly and accurately with two simple blood tests developed by a CedarsSinai gastroenterologist. The tests created by Mark Pimentel MD https director of the GI Motility Program and Laboratory https confirm when a patient has developed IBS because of food poisoning a major cause of the disorder. Toxins produced by bacteria such as salmonella can severely harm the digestive system by damaging nerves critical to healthy gut function. The new blood tests identify the presence and amount of specific antibodies reacting to the toxins.  Having an early diagnosis means patients can avoid years of invasive tests and visits to specialists that often leave them with more questions than answers he said. With these new blood tests many patients will now be able to proceed right to therapy for their condition. IBS is the most common gastroenterological disorder in the United States affecting nearly  million people. An estimated  percent of the worlds population suffers from the condition. The disorder nearly impossible to diagnose until now is characterized by a cluster of confounding symptoms that include chronic bloating abdominal pain gas and bouts of relentless diarrhea constipation or both. Fatigue and the stress of trying to plan ones life around visits to the bathroom can be debilitating.  A multicenter study validating the accuracy of the new blood tests Development and Validation of a Biomarker for DiarrheaPredominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Human Subjects httpjournals.plos.orgplosonearticleid.journal.pone. was published this week in the journal PLOS ONE. Pimentel will also present the research on Sunday May th at Digestive Disease Week  in Washington D.C. Pimentel and fellow researchers studied nearly  people comparing IBS patients to those diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease celiac disease and those with no GI disease. The blood tests identified the two antibodies associated with IBS  antiCdtb and antivinculin  with greater than  percent certainty. The tests are marketed under the name IBSchek and are produced by Commonwealth Laboratories Inc. in Salem Massachusetts.  Most IBS patients have been told at one time or another that the disease was psychological all in their head said Pimentel. The fact that we can now confirm the disease through their blood not their head is going to end a lot of the emotional suffering I have seen these patients endure. For more information on IBS and the new blood test for the disorder watch this video  First Ever Blood Test for IBS https COI Disclosure Pimentel receives consulting fees from Commonwealth Laboratories.  CedarsSinai has entered into an exclusive license agreement with Commonwealth Laboratories for several patent applications covering the blood tests developed by Pimentel to detect both antiCdtB and antivinculin antibodies in the diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease."