Gut microbiota dysbiosis associated with persistent fatigue in hematopoietic cell transplantation survivors

Fatigue is one of the most prevalent and distressing complications among hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) survivors, negatively affecting physical, social, and emotional domains of quality of life. Chronic systemic inflammation has been linked to alterations in nervous system activity and initiation of distressing symptoms such as fatigue. Damage to gut mucosa due to alteration in gut microbiota (GM) composition and microbial translocation has been shown to increase systemic pro-inflammatory cytokines. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between fatigue and GM by measuring the differences in GM composition in HCT survivors with and without persistent fatigue.