Dai, Ting, Tang, Tongyu · Zhonghua wei chang wai ke za zhi = Chinese journal of gastrointestinal surgery · 2015
This review discusses fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), a procedure where healthy bacteria from donor stool are transferred to patients to restore a damaged gut microbiome. The gut bacteria can be damaged by antibiotics or disease, leading to infections and other health problems. Researchers are exploring whether FMT might help treat several conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), but it is not yet standard medical treatment because many doctors and patients are hesitant about the approach.
ME/CFS patients often report gastrointestinal symptoms and dysbiosis, making the microbiome a potential therapeutic target. This review acknowledges FMT as an investigational approach for chronic fatigue syndrome, positioning it within a broader discussion of how restoring microbial balance might address immune and metabolic dysfunction underlying the disease.
This narrative review does not prove FMT is effective for ME/CFS—it only notes that FMT has been used experimentally in this population. The abstract provides no efficacy data, mechanistic evidence, or clinical trial outcomes specific to ME/CFS. Association between dysbiosis and ME/CFS symptoms does not establish causation or that FMT will improve outcomes.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
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