Microbiome Studies
“Independent of IBS, ME/CFS is associated with dysbiosis and distinct bacterial metabolic disturbances that may influence disease severity.”
Quick Summary
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Extended List of Studies (by year)
2015-2019
Eukaryotes in the gut microbiota in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. [Full Text] [PDF]
Mandarano AH, Giloteaux L, Keller BA, Levine SM, Hanson MR. PeerJ. 2018
[HIGHLIGHT] Fecal metagenomic profiles in subgroups of patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. [PDF]
Nagy-Szakal D, Williams BL, Mishra N, Che X, Lee B, Bateman L, Klimas NG, Komaroff AL, Levine S, Montoya JG, Peterson DL, Ramanan D, Jain K, Eddy ML, Hornig M, Lipkin WI. Microbiome. 2017
Independent of IBS, ME/CFS is associated with dysbiosis and distinct bacterial metabolic disturbances that may influence disease severity. However, our findings indicate that dysbiotic features that are uniquely ME/CFS-associated may be masked by disturbances arising from the high prevalence of IBS co-morbidity in ME/CFS. These insights may enable more accurate diagnosis and lead to insights that inform the development of specific therapeutic strategies in ME/CFS subgroups.
A Pair of Identical Twins Discordant for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Differ in Physiological Parameters and Gut Microbiome Composition. [PDF]
Giloteaux L, et al. Am J Case Rep. 2016
[HIGHLIGHT] Reduced diversity and altered composition of the gut microbiome in individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. [Full Text] [PDF]
Giloteaux L, Goodrich JK, Walters WA, Levine SM, Ley RE, Hanson MR. Microbiome. 2016
In the patient cohort, we find less diversity as well as increases in specific species often reported to be pro-inflammatory species and reduction in species frequently described as anti-inflammatory. Our results indicate dysbiosis of the gut microbiota in this disease and further suggest an increased incidence of microbial translocation, which may play a role in inflammatory symptoms in ME/CFS.
A Role for the Intestinal Microbiota and Virome in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)? [PDF]
Navaneetharaja N, Griffiths V, Wileman T, Carding SR. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2016
[HIGHLIGHT] Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in the Era of the Human Microbiome: Persistent Pathogens Drive Chronic Symptoms by Interfering With Host Metabolism, Gene Expression, and Immunity. [Full Text]
Proal, A. & Marshall, T., Frontiers in Pediatrics. 2018
Antibodies and/or clonal T cells identified in patients with ME/CFS are likely activated in response to these persistent microbiome pathogens. Different human pathogens have evolved similar survival mechanisms to disable the host immune response and host metabolic pathways. The metabolic dysfunction driven by these organisms can result in similar clusters of inflammatory symptoms. ME/CFS may be driven by this pathogen-induced dysfunction, with the nature of dysbiosis and symptom presentation varying based on a patient's unique infectious and environmental history. Under such conditions, patients would benefit from treatments that support the human immune system in an effort to reverse the infectious disease process.
Changes in Gut and Plasma Microbiome following Exercise Challenge in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). [PDF]
Shukla SK, Cook D, Meyer J, Vernon SD, Le T, Clevidence D, Robertson CE, Schrodi SJ, Yale S, Frank DN.
PLoS ONE. 2015
2010-2014
[HIGHLIGHT] High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing reveals alterations of intestinal microbiota in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome patients. [PDF]
Frémonta, M, Coomans D, Massart S, De Meirleir K. Anaerobe. 2013
Human intestinal microbiota plays an important role in the maintenance of host health by providing energy, nutrients, and immunological protection. Intestinal dysfunction is a frequent complaint in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) patients, and previous reports suggest that dysbiosis, i.e. the overgrowth of abnormal populations of bacteria in the gut, is linked to the pathogenesis of the disease.
We used high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing to investigate the presence of specific alterations in the gut microbiota of ME/CFS patients from Belgium and Norway. 43 ME/CFS patients and 36 healthy controls were included in the study.
These results show that intestinal microbiota is altered in ME/CFS.
[HIGHLIGHT] Gut inflammation in chronic fatigue syndrome. [Full Text] [PDF]
Lakhan SE, Kirchgessner A. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2010
CFS patients have a variety of gut problems, including mucosal barrier dysfunction (“leaky gut”), an altered mucosal immune system, and presence of various microorganisms related to disease.
Evidence for interactions between the intestinal microbiota, mucosal barrier function, and the immune system have been shown to play a role in the disorder's pathogenesis. In this article, we discuss the interplay between these factors in CFS and how they could play a significant role in GI dysfunction by modulating the activity of the enteric nervous system, the intrinsic innervation of the gut.If an altered intestinal microbiota, mucosal barrier dysfunction, and aberrant intestinal immunity contribute to the pathogenesis of CFS, therapeutic efforts to modify gut microbiota could be a means to modulate the development and/or progression of this disorder.
2005-2009
Detection of herpesviruses and parvovirus B19 in gastric and intestinal mucosa of chronic fatigue syndrome patients. [PDF]
Frémont M, Metzger K, Rady H, Hulstaert J, De Meirleir K. In Vivo. 2009
CFS patients tend to have a variety of pathogenic viruses colonizing their gastrointestinal tracts; these include parvovirus B19, HHV6, HHV7 and EBV
Increased d-lactic Acid intestinal bacteria in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. [Full Text] [PDF]
Sheedy JR, Wettenhall RE, Scanlon D, Gooley PR, Lewis DP, McGregor N, Stapleton DI, Butt HL, DE Meirleir KL.
In Vivo. 2009
CFS patients have abnormal levels of Gram positive facultative anaerobic D-lactic bacteria in their intestinal systems. This has the potential of explaining some of the symptoms and of serving as a biomarker.
Normalization of leaky gut in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is accompanied by a clinical improvement: effects of age, duration of illness and the translocation of LPS from gram-negative bacteria.
Maes M, Leunis JC. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2008
CFS patients have high intestinal permeability, and treatment of this can result in improvements in their condition.
2000-2004
Chronic fatigue syndrome: oxidative stress and dietary modifications. [PDF]
Logan AC, Wong C. Altern Med Rev. 2001
Research on food intolerance is discussed, since food intolerance may be involved in CFS symptom presentation and in oxidation via cytokine induction. Finally, recent evidence suggests celiac disease can present with neurological symptoms in the absence of gastrointestinal symptoms; therefore, celiac disease should be included in the differential diagnosis of CFS.
PRE-2000
Prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome in chronic fatigue.
Gomborone JE, Gorard DA, Dewsnap PA, Libby GW, Farthing MJ. J R Coll Physicians Lond. 1996
63% of people belonging to a group for chronic fatigue sufferers fulfilled a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (recurrent abdominal pain and at least three Manning criteria). This greatly exceeds estimates of irritable bowel syndrome prevalence of up to 22% in the general population.
Antibodies and/or clonal T cells identified in patients with ME/CFS are likely activated in response to these persistent microbiome pathogens. Different human pathogens have evolved similar survival mechanisms to disable the host immune response and host metabolic pathways.
“Antibodies and/or clonal T cells identified in patients with ME/CFS are likely activated in response to these persistent microbiome pathogens. Different human pathogens have evolved similar survival mechanisms to disable the host immune response and host metabolic pathways. ”