The Biochemist - The gut microbiome in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

[AndyPR]

The Biochemist is the bi-monthly publication of The Biochemical Society, and the latest edition is focused on the microbiome. They say "With a circulation of over 7000 readers, largely comprised of students and researchers working in molecular bioscience, The Biochemist provides an ideal opportunity for advertisers to reach a specialist audience."

Maureen R. Hanson and Ludovic Giloteaux from Cornell University have the following article printed in this edition.

Over the last dozen years, increasingly powerful DNA sequencing methods have allowed characterization of the microbes residing on and in humans in much greater detail than ever possible before. Abnormalities present in the gut microbiome—those microbial communities residing in our intestines—have now been observed in a number of diseases. One such illness is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). ME was a name coined by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in 1988, and reviled by patients for the resultant trivializing of this serious illness. Recently, the US National Academy of Medicine (NAM) recommended a new name: Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease, though this name is not yet widely used. In ME, as in other diseases, the diversity of the bacterial species in the gut microbiome is lower than in healthy individuals. Furthermore, the abundances of different bacterial residents of the gut, which influence health both favourably and negatively, differ between ME patients and healthy controls. Bacteria translocate into the blood in greater amount in ME, leading to inflammation. Dysbiosis in the gut likely contributes to symptoms in this life-limiting disease.

http://www.biochemist.org/bio/03902/0010/039020010.pdf

Dr Hanson promoted it on Twitter here

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/853256993649414144

 

[ljimbo423]

Bacteria translocate into the blood in greater amount in ME, leading to inflammation. Dysbiosis in the gut likely contributes to symptoms in this life-limiting disease.

Dysbiosis and leaky gut are a huge source of my symptoms. Treating it though, is like trying to run a marathon under water!

 

[duncan]

Could reduced biodiversity in gut microbiome of pwME be a result of treatments?

 

[ljimbo423]

There seem to be a lot of people, both with cfs and researchers, that know the gut is the cause of many symptoms in cfs. Were they seem to part ways is to weather the gut is the primary cause of cfs or secondary to cfs.

I personally think it's the primary cause and am treating dysbiosis and leaky gut aggressively. I am having very good success, especially in the last 4-6 weeks. Hopefully I will know in a few months (sooner would be better), weather it is a the primary cause of my cfs or not.

This is a quote from Chris Armstrong, the leader of a recent metabolomics study for cfs-

"Well we all experience a bacteremia when we exercise. The type of bacteria that enter your bloodstream are usually quite controllable by your immune system but if your gut is further compromised they may release more bacteria into your blood or more pathogenic species or your immune system may already be depleted. This is the concept for the chronic sepsis or SIRS and this is what I think may be behind PEM." http://forums.phoenixrising.me/inde...20-2016-metabolomics.47485/page-6#post-791828

Ian Lipkin and Mady Hornig also seem to think the gut is the core issue- time will tell for sure.

 

[Murph]

The melbourne crew (Armstrong et al) are pretty convinced that the gut is a major part of the causation. It makes sense to me - my fatigue symptoms flare if I stray too far from my diet. I've found a probiotic that seems to make a difference at the margin too.

 

[duncan]

Nobody knows anything.

But as a hypothesis, it certainly seems to have merit. I'm just wondering what portion of pwME were tested AFTER some sort of microbial therapies were administered in these gut dysbiosis studies.

I am a fan of Maureen Hanson, but I think this treatment variable may deserve attention.

 

[Forbin]

An interesting thing about the gut microbiome is that it appears that it can be altered by immune responses to things occurring outside of the gut.

Influenza Virus Affects Intestinal Microbiota and Secondary Salmonella Infection in the Gut through Type I Interferons
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27149619

Burn Injury Alters the Intestinal Microbiome and Increases Gut Permeability and Bacterial Translocation
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0129996

Speculation:
This might tie into the apparent "multiple triggers" of ME. What they would all have in common is that they stimulate the immune system to alter the microbiome, leading to "leaky gut." The subsequent immune response to "leaky gut" itself might then turn this into a vicious cycle, never allowing the microbiome to return to normal.

 

[trishrhymes]

I personally think it's the primary cause and am treating dysbiosis and leaky gut aggressively. I am having very good success, especially in the last 4-6 weeks. Hopefully I will know in a few months (sooner would be better), weather it is a the primary cause of my cfs or not.

Can you point me in the direction for information on how to do this? (probably best not to derail this thread with individual stories of treatment).

 

[echobravo]

@ljimbo423, I would be curious to know how you treat your dysbiosis and leaky gut..

Aboit a year ago the CSA stool test showed a compromised gut flora (lacking good species, overgrowth of some pathogene species, yeast) I have improved going low carb & paleo, eliminating sugars & starches and also supplementing with tryptophan, zinc, l-glutamine, omega-3 etc. For leaky gut I also use broth, fermented cabbage, kefir, probiotics, beet kvass etc. The result is less pain and headaches, but energy is still low.

 

[anciendaze]

Has anyone posted a correction about the terms ME and CFS? CFS was the term introduced in 1988, over the objections of some very competent doctors who had seen the problem in the 1950s. Benign myalgic encephalomyelitis was introduced in 1956. The benign adjective was dropped by Ramsey after it became clear the disease could be completely disabling and life-long. The article mixes this up.

 

[ljimbo423]

@trishrhymes and @echobravo


About 90% of my treatment plan came from here, under the treatment tab. Feel free to PM me if you want more details.