Maes, Michael, Leunis, Jean-Claude, Geffard, Michel et al. · Neuro endocrinology letters · 2014
This study found that many people with ME/CFS experience stomach and digestive problems, and this appears to be linked to bacteria from the gut leaking into the bloodstream. Researchers identified two groups of ME/CFS patients: those with significant abdominal discomfort and those without. The group with digestive symptoms showed higher levels of immune responses to gut bacteria, suggesting their intestinal barrier may be more permeable.
This research provides evidence that digestive problems in ME/CFS may have a biological basis involving intestinal barrier dysfunction and bacterial translocation, rather than being purely functional. Identifying ME/CFS subgroups with distinct biological markers could eventually lead to more targeted treatments and better patient stratification in future research.
This study does not prove that bacterial translocation causes ME/CFS symptoms, only that they are associated. The cross-sectional design cannot establish whether gut barrier dysfunction precedes ME/CFS development or results from it. These findings apply specifically to the studied population and may not generalize to all ME/CFS patients.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Maes, Michael, Leunis, Jean-Claude, Geffard, Michel, & Berk, Michael (2014). Evidence for the existence of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) with and without abdominal discomfort (irritable bowel) syndrome.. Neuro endocrinology letters. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25433843/
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-maes-2014-evidence-existence,
author = {Maes, Michael and Leunis, Jean-Claude and Geffard, Michel and Berk, Michael},
title = {Evidence for the existence of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) with and without abdominal discomfort (irritable bowel) syndrome.},
journal = {Neuro endocrinology letters},
year = {2014},
note = {PubMed: 25433843},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/maes-2014-evidence-existence},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-28. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/maes-2014-evidence-existence
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