Intestinal dysbiosis in ME/CFS patients
The microbes that live on and in us provide a host of functions that are essential for our health. Changes in the composition of these microbial communities correlate with a variety of disease states. Results of a new study (link) reveal altered populations of intestinal bacteria and metabolic disturbances in ME/CFS patients.
The study subjects were 50 patients with ME/CFS from four sites across the US (meeting 1994 CDC Fukuda and 2003 Canadian consensus criteria) and 50 healthy controls. Some of the ME/CFS patients (21/50) reported a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel syndrome, absent in all the controls. Whether IBS leads to ME/CFS or is a consequence is unclear.
Genomic DNA was extracted from a fecal sample from each patient and subjected to high-throughput sequencing. Bacterial sequences were identified after computational subtraction of human genomic, mitochondrial, and ribosomal sequences.
The results show that bacterial taxa in ME/CFS patients with and without IBS were distinct. The most reliable markers of ME/CFS with IBS were increased abundance of Alistipes (pictured) and a decrease in Faecalibacterium genera of bacteria. In contrast, an increase in Bacteriodes and a decrease in Bacteroides vulgatus were associated with ME/CFS without IBS.
The bacterial genes identified in the sequence analysis were used to predict alterations in metabolic pathways. Some pathways are altered only in ME/CFS patients, while others are linked to IBS. Enrichment in the pathway of vitam...
Source: virology blog - Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Commentary Information chronic fatigue syndrome dysbiosis fecal bacteria fecal microbiome mecfs metabolome myalgic encephalomyelitis Source Type: blogs
More News: Bacteroides Infection | Blogging | Chemistry | Chronic Fatigue Syndrome | Genetics | Mitochondrial Disease | Neurology | Study | Transplants | Virology | Vitamin B6 | Vitamins