Department of Internal Medicine IV (Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases), Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
Department of Sports Medicine and Health Promotion, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany.
Front Immunol. 2024 Mar 28;15:1352744. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1352744. eCollection 2024.
Like other infections, a SARS-CoV-2 infection can also trigger Post-Acute Infection Syndromes (PAIS), which often progress into myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). ME/CFS, characterized by post-exercise malaise (PEM), is a severe multisystemic disease for which specific diagnostic markers or therapeutic concepts have not been established. Despite numerous indications of post-infectious neurological, immunological, endocrinal, and metabolic deviations, the exact causes and pathophysiology remain unclear. To date, there is a paucity of data, that changes in the composition and function of the gastrointestinal microbiota have emerged as a potential influencing variable associated with immunological and inflammatory pathways, shifts in ME/CFS. It is postulated that this dysbiosis may lead to intestinal barrier dysfunction, translocation of microbial components with increased oxidative stress, and the development or progression of ME/CFS. In this review, we detailed discuss the findings regarding alterations in the gastrointestinal microbiota and its microbial mediators in ME/CFS. When viewed critically, there is currently no evidence indicating causality between changes in the microbiota and the development of ME/CFS. Most studies describe associations within poorly defined patient populations, often combining various clinical presentations, such as irritable bowel syndrome and fatigue associated with ME/CFS. Nevertheless, drawing on analogies with other gastrointestinal diseases, there is potential to develop strategies aimed at modulating the gut microbiota and/or its metabolites as potential treatments for ME/CFS and other PAIS. These strategies should be further investigated in clinical trials.
与其他感染一样,SARS-CoV-2 感染也可能引发急性后期感染综合征(PAIS),这通常会进展为肌痛性脑脊髓炎/慢性疲劳综合征(ME/CFS)。ME/CFS 的特征是运动后不适(PEM),这是一种严重的多系统疾病,尚未建立特定的诊断标志物或治疗概念。尽管有大量迹象表明存在感染后神经、免疫、内分泌和代谢偏差,但确切的病因和病理生理学仍不清楚。迄今为止,数据表明,胃肠道微生物群落的组成和功能变化已成为与免疫和炎症途径、ME/CFS 变化相关的潜在影响变量。据推测,这种肠道菌群失调可能导致肠道屏障功能障碍、微生物成分易位和氧化应激增加,以及 ME/CFS 的发生或进展。在这篇综述中,我们详细讨论了关于 ME/CFS 中胃肠道微生物群落及其微生物介质变化的研究结果。批判性地来看,目前没有证据表明微生物群落的变化与 ME/CFS 的发生之间存在因果关系。大多数研究仅在定义不明确的患者群体中描述了相关性,这些患者通常合并有多种临床表现,如肠易激综合征和 ME/CFS 相关疲劳。然而,借鉴其他胃肠道疾病的类比,有可能开发出针对调节肠道菌群及其代谢物的策略,作为 ME/CFS 和其他 PAIS 的潜在治疗方法。这些策略应在临床试验中进一步研究。