Dolphin
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Hanna Tabisz , Sławomir Kujawski , Monika Prylińska-Jaśkowiak , Paweł Zalewski , Joanna Słomko Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Poland
A systematic review of gut microbiota differences in ME/CFS and Long COVID patients
ABSTRACT
Chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS), is a difficult-to-diagnose and treat disease that has been known worldwide for several years.
Long COVID Syndrome (LCS) was first used in 2020 when it was noted that some COVID-19 patients report a range of symptoms that appear 3 months after onset, last at least 2 months, and are not explained by any alternative diagnosis.
Both conditions share some elements of symptomatology.
The gut microbiome of both groups appears to be altered compared to healthy patients.
The purpose of this systematic review is to analyze changes in the gut microbiota of ME/CFS and LCS patients and discuss potential similarities or differences in the appearance of the microbiota.
A growing body of evidence suggests that changes in the gut microbiota are associated with the progression and severity of COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 syndrome, characterized by a reduction in anti-inflammatory bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Faecalibacterium and enrichment of inflammation-related microbiota, including Streptococcus and Actinomyces.
In addition, changes in the gut microbiota have also been noted in CFS patients compared to healthy individuals.
This article presents and summarizes the latest evidence on the gut microbiota and its changes in metabolome after COVID-19 infection and in CFS patients.
Understanding the links between the gut microbiota and COVID-19 or CFS would provide new insights into the future management of these disease entities.
Keywords: microbiome, gut microbiome, myalgic encephalomyelitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, Long COVID Med Res J 2025; 10 (2): 195–206