Guo et al. (2025)
- Authors: Yunong Gan, Ruihong Ning, Wen Zhang, Yisha Xu, Wei Guo
- Institutes: Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
- Publisher: BMC Microbiology
- Link: DOI
Summary
This study is among the first to map the gut fungal landscape (mycobiome) in ME/CFS, revealing that fungal imbalances are not only present but vary significantly depending on a patient’s age. By identifying specific fungal ‘signatures’ for different age groups, the researchers developed high-accuracy diagnostic models, suggesting that the mycobiome could serve as a powerful tool for future objective testing and personalized treatment strategies.
What was researched?
The study investigated whether the gut mycobiome (fungal community) is altered in patients with ME/CFS and if these changes are influenced by the patient’s age.
Why was it researched?
While bacterial imbalances in ME/CFS are well-documented, the role of gut fungi remains poorly understood despite their known impact on immune function and host health.
How was it researched?
Researchers performed high-throughput sequencing on fecal samples from 118 individuals, including 59 ME/CFS patients and 59 healthy controls, stratified into young, middle-aged, and elderly cohorts. They used machine learning (Random Forest models) to evaluate the diagnostic potential of specific fungal taxa for each age group.
What has been found?
ME/CFS patients showed significant fungal dysbiosis, but trends differed by age; fungal richness was reduced in young and middle-aged patients but unexpectedly increased in the elderly. Age-specific diagnostic models achieved near-perfect accuracy (up to 100%) in distinguishing patients from controls, identifying key discriminatory fungi such as Preussia, Aspergillus, and Chaetomium.
Discussion
The findings suggest that failing to account for age can mask significant biological markers in ME/CFS research. The study’s strengths include the age-stratified design and high predictive accuracy, though further validation in larger, more diverse global cohorts is needed.
Conclusion & Future Work
The gut mycobiome provides distinct, age-dependent biomarkers for ME/CFS that could facilitate the development of non-invasive diagnostic tools. Future research should explore the functional role of these fungi in driving systemic inflammation and fatigue.