Research: Gut dysfunction found in ME/CFS

Gut bacteria could have answers for ME/CFS

Two separate US studies have found significant differences in the gut microbiomes of people with ME/CFS compared to healthy people, although it was not possible to tell if they were a cause or consequence of ME/CFS. Researchers hope the findings will help to develop a diagnostic tool, interventions (dietary, probiotic, prebiotic, or synbiotic) and divide patients into sub-groups to better treat them.

The microbiome may weigh as much as five pounds. The bacteria in the microbiome help digest our food, regulate our immune system, protect against other bacteria that cause disease, and produce vitamins including B vitamins B12, thiamine and riboflavin, and Vitamin K, which is needed for blood coagulation. (University of Washington)

Jackson Laboratory study

Julia Oh’s study compared microbiome samples from people with both short-term ME/CFS (under 4 years; 74 patients) and long-term ME/CFS over 10 years; 75 patients) as well as 79 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. The investigators also looked at blood plasma samples.

There was less diversity found in patients with short-term disease fewer microbes known to be butyrate producers. Butyrate is important for protecting the integrity of the gut barrier and is also known to play an important role in modulating the immune system.

In contrast, the gut microbiomes had re-established in those with long-term disease and were more similar to the healthy controls. However, there were a number of changes in the metabolites in their blood plasma, including many of those related to the immune system. They also had differences in levels of certain types of immune cells compared with the healthy controls.

Highlights

Multi-‘omics identified phenotypic, gut microbial, and metabolic biomarkers for ME/CFS
Reduced gut microbial diversity and increased plasma sphingomyelins in ME/CFS
Short-term patients had more severe gut microbial dysbiosis with decreased butyrate
Long-term patients had more significant metabolic and clinical aberrations

Multi-‘omics of gut microbiome-host interactions in short- and long-term ME/CFS, by Ruoyun Xiong, Courtney Gunter, Elizabeth Fleming, Suzanne D Vernon, Lucinda Bateman, Derya Unutmaz, Julia Oh

The Center for Solutions study

Williams’s study looked at the microbiomes of 106 people with ME/CFS and 91 healthy controls that were matched for age, sex, geography, and socioeconomic status. It also looked at levels of microbial species in the stool. It didn’t include analysis of blood plasma, though this group has already published plasma metabolomics analyses elsewhere. It did look at metabolites in the stool, which demonstrated reduced levels of butyrate metabolites in ME/CFS.

Highlights

ME/CFS patients have substantial gut microbiome dysbiosis
Bacterial abundances, functions, SCFAs and species interactions deviate in ME/CFS
Reduced F. prausnitzii and E. rectale in ME/CFS may contribute to butyrate deficiency
Low F. prausnitzii abundance correlates with more severe fatigue symptoms in ME/CFS

Deficient butyrate-producing capacity in the gut microbiome is associated with bacterial network disturbances and fatigue symptoms in ME/CFS, by Cheng Guo, Xiaoyu Che, Thomas, Briese, Amit Ranjan, Orchid Allicock, Rachel A Yates, Aaron Cheng, Dana March, Mady Hornig, Anthony L Komaroff,
Susan Levine, Lucinda Bateman, Suzanne D Vernon, Nancy G Klimas, Jose G Montoya, Daniel L Peterson, W Ian Lipkin, Brent L Williams