Venturini, Letizia, Bacchi, Sara, Capelli, Enrica et al. · Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity · 2019 · DOI
This study tested whether taking a specific combination of probiotic supplements (beneficial bacteria) could help people with ME/CFS. Researchers measured changes in immune function, inflammation markers, oxidative stress, and mood before and after patients took probiotics. The results showed improvements in well-being and reductions in inflammatory markers, though one patient experienced a temporary worsening of fatigue symptoms.
Dysbiosis and intestinal barrier dysfunction have emerged as potential contributors to ME/CFS pathophysiology. This study provides preliminary evidence that targeted microbial interventions may modulate immune and oxidative parameters in ME/CFS, opening a new therapeutic avenue. However, the mechanism linking symptom severity to immune activation (illustrated by the one patient flare) warrants careful investigation before clinical adoption.
This pilot study does not establish that probiotics are a clinically effective treatment for ME/CFS in the general population—it lacks a placebo control group and blinding, making placebo response and bias possible. The observation of symptom worsening in one patient suggests potential risks and highlights that immune stimulation may not benefit all patients, particularly those with specific clinical histories. Correlation between reduced inflammatory markers and symptom improvement does not prove causation.
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
Venturini, Letizia, Bacchi, Sara, Capelli, Enrica, Lorusso, Lorenzo, Ricevuti, Giovanni, & Cusa, Chiara (2019). Modification of Immunological Parameters, Oxidative Stress Markers, Mood Symptoms, and Well-Being Status in CFS Patients after Probiotic Intake: Observations from a Pilot Study.. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/1684198
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-venturini-2019-modification-immunological,
author = {Venturini, Letizia and Bacchi, Sara and Capelli, Enrica and Lorusso, Lorenzo and Ricevuti, Giovanni and Cusa, Chiara},
title = {Modification of Immunological Parameters, Oxidative Stress Markers, Mood Symptoms, and Well-Being Status in CFS Patients after Probiotic Intake: Observations from a Pilot Study.},
journal = {Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity},
year = {2019},
doi = {10.1155/2019/1684198},
note = {PubMed: 31871540},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/venturini-2019-modification-immunological},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/venturini-2019-modification-immunological
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