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 →
Contribute
Private, reviewed by a human. Not a public comment thread.