Clinical evidence of the link between gut microbiome and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: a retrospective review.
Wang, Jing-Hua, Choi, Yujin, Lee, Jin-Seok et al. · European journal of medical research · 2024 · DOI
Quick Summary
Researchers reviewed 11 studies comparing gut bacteria in ME/CFS patients to healthy people. They found that people with ME/CFS have fewer types of bacteria and different bacterial communities in their guts compared to healthy controls. Additionally, ME/CFS patients produce lower levels of certain beneficial bacterial byproducts that are normally important for health.
Why It Matters
Understanding the gut microbiome's role in ME/CFS could open new treatment possibilities and help explain some patients' symptoms. If microbiome dysfunction contributes to ME/CFS, targeted interventions to restore beneficial bacteria might become viable therapeutic options.
Observed Findings
Significantly decreased α-diversity (bacterial diversity) in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy controls
Notable 2.3-fold decrease in the Firmicutes:Bacteroides ratio in ME/CFS patients
Reduced production of short-chain fatty acids (butyrate, acetate, isobutyrate) in ME/CFS microbiomes
Decreased levels of certain amino acids (alanine, serine, hypoxanthine) in ME/CFS patients
Altered β-diversity indicating different bacterial community composition in ME/CFS versus controls
Inferred Conclusions
Dysbiosis (abnormal gut bacterial composition) is a characteristic feature of ME/CFS that distinguishes patients from healthy controls
Reduced microbial metabolite production may contribute to ME/CFS symptoms or pathology
Microbiome-based interventions warrant investigation as potential ME/CFS treatments
Standardized methodologies are needed to clarify the clinical significance of these microbiome alterations
Remaining Questions
Do microbiome changes cause ME/CFS symptoms, or are they a consequence of the disease?
What is the functional significance of reduced short-chain fatty acid production in ME/CFS pathophysiology?
What This Study Does Not Prove
This review does not prove that gut microbiome changes cause ME/CFS—it only shows an association between the two. The study cannot determine whether microbiome alterations trigger ME/CFS, result from having the condition, or both occur independently. Different studies used different methods to measure bacteria, which limits the strength of conclusions.