Wallis, Amy, Ball, Michelle, McKechnie, Sandra et al. · Journal of translational medicine · 2017 · DOI
This study compared symptoms reported in cases of D-lactic acidosis (a rare condition where a specific type of acid builds up in the body) with symptoms of ME/CFS. Researchers found that many neurological symptoms—like brain fog, movement problems, and nerve-related issues—appeared in both conditions. Both groups also had gut bacteria imbalances and stomach problems. The authors suggest that ME/CFS might involve similar gut-related processes as D-lactic acidosis, but stress that we need more research to understand if this connection is real.
This study opens a novel research direction by suggesting ME/CFS and D-lactic acidosis may share biological mechanisms involving gut bacteria and lactate production. If this connection is validated, it could lead to new diagnostic tests (measuring D-lactate levels) and potentially new treatment approaches targeting gut bacteria and acid metabolism in ME/CFS patients.
This study does not prove that D-lactate causes ME/CFS or that measuring D-lactate will be clinically useful—it only identifies symptom similarities and raises a hypothesis for future testing. The finding that symptoms overlap does not establish that the underlying causes are the same, as different mechanisms could produce similar neurological effects. No D-lactate measurements were actually performed in ME/CFS patients in this review.
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
Wallis, Amy, Ball, Michelle, McKechnie, Sandra, Butt, Henry, Lewis, Donald P, & Bruck, Dorothy (2017). Examining clinical similarities between myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and D-lactic acidosis: a systematic review.. Journal of translational medicine. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-017-1229-1
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-wallis-2017-examining-clinical,
author = {Wallis, Amy and Ball, Michelle and McKechnie, Sandra and Butt, Henry and Lewis, Donald P and Bruck, Dorothy},
title = {Examining clinical similarities between myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and D-lactic acidosis: a systematic review.},
journal = {Journal of translational medicine},
year = {2017},
doi = {10.1186/s12967-017-1229-1},
note = {PubMed: 28592308},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/wallis-2017-examining-clinical},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/wallis-2017-examining-clinical
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