Fungi: Nectriaceae Fusarium / Hypocreales / Sordariomycetes

Fungi and the microbiome finally got on my radar. Apologies to some, but there is a lot of different items on the microbiome radar screen.

“Small intestinal fungal overgrowth (SIFO)… Two recent studies showed that 26 % (24/94) and 25.3 % (38/150) of a series of patients with unexplained GI symptoms had SIFO. …. but evidence for eradication is lacking.”Small intestinal fungal overgrowth [2015]

As I did with taxa years ago, I will be writing a blog on each one reviewing the literature. If there is sufficient data at the end, I may add it as a feature to Microbiome Prescription.

One of my reader’s results motivated this choice. The data from a Thorne Microbiome Test. Unlike other fungi, no ranges are provided — implies that it is a rare fungi. The person also has a Crohn’s diagnosis.

Preventive for Fungi

The following are suggestions:

  • Reduce and keep your living space humidity at 50% or lower (typically done by dehumidifiers). EPA recommends 30-50% [EPA]; we set our dehumidifiers for 35%.

Moisture parameters and fungal communities associated with gypsum drywall in buildings [2015]

Remember, all fungi are not the same. Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities of Spices [2017] does not mention this fungi. Additionally, some spices are known to have Fungal Contamination of some Common Spices [2022] and Fungi and aflatoxins associated with spices in the Sultanate of Oman [2002] which included cloves (often deem an antifungal).

Basic Information

  • The Nectriaceae comprise a family of fungi in the order Hypocreales. It was circumscribed by brothers Charles and Louis René Tulasne in 1865.[1] In 2020, an Outline of fungi was produced and listed 70 genera and about 1,336 species.[2] [Wikipedia]
  • Associated to Fungal Eye Infection [ScienceDirect]
  • General Information: Nectriaceae [ScienceDirect]
  • “This genus is also frequently involved in vertebrate infection.6,7 Although the conditions in host tissues of plants and animals are very different, nearly all 24 taxa that have been described to occur in human infections as real cases” [2019]
  • Fusarium, a well-known plant pathogen, has emerged as an important cause of invasive or disseminated infection in immunocompromised patients. Fusarium species, which are considered as the second most frequent mold in fungal infection, cause a broad spectrum of infections including keratitis, onychomycosis, endophthalmitis, and skin infection….In the last few decades, as the number of people with diabetes increases, the case report of Fusarium infection associated with a diabetic patient is also increasing.” [2019]

Treatment

Fungi: Aspergillus \ Aspergillaceae \ Eurotiales

Fungi and the microbiome finally got on my radar. Apologies to some, but there is a lot of different items on the microbiome radar screen.

“Small intestinal fungal overgrowth (SIFO)… Two recent studies showed that 26 % (24/94) and 25.3 % (38/150) of a series of patients with unexplained GI symptoms had SIFO. …. but evidence for eradication is lacking.”Small intestinal fungal overgrowth [2015]

As I did with taxa years ago, I will be writing a blog on each one reviewing the literature. If there is sufficient data at the end, I may add it as a feature to Microbiome Prescription.

One of my reader’s results motivated this choice. The data from a Thorne Microbiome Test. About 8 out of 10 people have less of it. The person also has a Crohn’s diagnosis (with SIBO and IBS earlier).

Preventive for Fungi

The following are suggestions:

  • Reduce and keep your living space humidity at 50% or lower (typically done by dehumidifiers). EPA recommends 30-50% [EPA]; we set our dehumidifiers for 35%.

Moisture parameters and fungal communities associated with gypsum drywall in buildings [2015]

Remember, all fungi are not the same. Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities of Spices [2017] does not mention all fungi that I am reviewing. Additionally, some spices are known to have Fungal Contamination of some Common Spices [2022] and Fungi and aflatoxins associated with spices in the Sultanate of Oman [2002] which included cloves (often deem an antifungal).

Basic Information

Aspergillus is available as a supplement, wakamoto (jp) / strong wakamoto w, containing aspergillus oryzae. So care need to be taken to avoid this supplement for at least one week before testing. It also implies that some species may be beneficial.

Aspergillosis is an infection caused by Aspergillus, a common mold (a type of fungus) that lives indoors and outdoors. Most people breathe in Aspergillus spores every day without getting sick. However, people with weakened immune systems or lung diseases are at a higher risk of developing health problems due to Aspergillus. The types of health problems caused by Aspergillus include allergic reactions, lung infections, and infections in other organs.

Center For Disease Control

Treatment

Fungi: Debaryomycetaceae / Saccharomycetales / Saccharomycetes

Fungi and the microbiome finally got on my radar. Apologies to some, but there is a lot of different items on the microbiome radar screen.

“Small intestinal fungal overgrowth (SIFO)… Two recent studies showed that 26 % (24/94) and 25.3 % (38/150) of a series of patients with unexplained GI symptoms had SIFO. …. but evidence for eradication is lacking.”Small intestinal fungal overgrowth [2015]

As I did with taxa years ago, I will be writing a blog on each one reviewing the literature. If there is sufficient data at the end, I may add it as a feature to Microbiome Prescription.

One of my reader’s results motivated this choice. The data from a Thorne Microbiome Test. About 8 out of 10 people have less of it. The person also has a Crohn’s diagnosis (with SIBO and IBS earlier).

Preventive for Fungi

The following are suggestions:

  • Reduce and keep your living space humidity at 50% or lower (typically done by dehumidifiers). EPA recommends 30-50% [EPA]; we set our dehumidifiers for 35%.

Moisture parameters and fungal communities associated with gypsum drywall in buildings [2015]

Remember, all fungi are not the same. Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities of Spices [2017] does not mention all fungi that I am reviewing. Additionally, some spices are known to have Fungal Contamination of some Common Spices [2022] and Fungi and aflatoxins associated with spices in the Sultanate of Oman [2002] which included cloves (often deem an antifungal).

Basic Information

It’s a family with the lineage below: FungiDikaryaAscomycotasaccharomycetaSaccharomycotinaSaccharomycetesSaccharomycetalesCUG-Ser1 clade; Debaryomycetaceae

Bottom Line

Our ability to drill down further is limited because the results only report at the family level and sparse literature. Itraconazole, an antifungal that is the top choice for other fungi reviewed appears to work.

Fungi: Leotiomycetes / Ascomycota

Fungi and the microbiome finally got on my radar. Apologies to some, but there is a lot of different items on the microbiome radar screen.

“Small intestinal fungal overgrowth (SIFO)… Two recent studies showed that 26 % (24/94) and 25.3 % (38/150) of a series of patients with unexplained GI symptoms had SIFO. …. but evidence for eradication is lacking.”Small intestinal fungal overgrowth [2015]

As I did with taxa years ago, I will be writing a blog on each one reviewing the literature. If there is sufficient data at the end, I may add it as a feature to Microbiome Prescription.

One of my reader’s results motivated this choice. The data from a Thorne Microbiome Test. About 8 out of 10 people have less of it. The person also has a Crohn’s diagnosis (with SIBO and IBS earlier).

Preventive for Fungi

The following are suggestions:

  • Reduce and keep your living space humidity at 50% or lower (typically done by dehumidifiers). EPA recommends 30-50% [EPA]; we set our dehumidifiers for 35%.

Moisture parameters and fungal communities associated with gypsum drywall in buildings [2015]

Remember, all fungi are not the same. Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities of Spices [2017] does not mention all fungi that I am reviewing. Additionally, some spices are known to have Fungal Contamination of some Common Spices [2022] and Fungi and aflatoxins associated with spices in the Sultanate of Oman [2002] which included cloves (often deem an antifungal).

Basic Information

Thorne only provided only class-level information unfortunately.

Bottom Line

This is a fungi that I would take no action on because it does not appear to produce any clear harm. If you have other fungi of concern, the treatment of those will likely reduce this one. Some of it’s children are reported sensitive to Itraconazole.

Fungi: Agaricales / Agaricomycetes

Fungi and the microbiome finally got on my radar. Apologies to some, but there is a lot of different items on the microbiome radar screen.

“Small intestinal fungal overgrowth (SIFO)… Two recent studies showed that 26 % (24/94) and 25.3 % (38/150) of a series of patients with unexplained GI symptoms had SIFO. …. but evidence for eradication is lacking.”Small intestinal fungal overgrowth [2015]

As I did with taxa years ago, I will be writing a blog on each one reviewing the literature. If there is sufficient data at the end, I may add it as a feature to Microbiome Prescription.

One of my reader’s results motivated this choice. The data from a Thorne Microbiome Test. About 8 out of 10 people have less of it. The person also has a Crohn’s diagnosis (with SIBO and IBS earlier).

Preventive for Fungi

The following are suggestions:

  • Reduce and keep your living space humidity at 50% or lower (typically done by dehumidifiers). EPA recommends 30-50% [EPA]; we set our dehumidifiers for 35%.

Moisture parameters and fungal communities associated with gypsum drywall in buildings [2015]

Remember, all fungi are not the same. Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities of Spices [2017] does not mention all fungi that I am reviewing. Additionally, some spices are known to have Fungal Contamination of some Common Spices [2022] and Fungi and aflatoxins associated with spices in the Sultanate of Oman [2002] which included cloves (often deem an antifungal).

Basic Information

Thorne only provided only order-level information unfortunately.

Bottom Line

Our ability to drill down further is limited because the results only report at the family level. Itraconazole, an antifungal that is the top choice for other fungi reviewed appears to work. This order-level fungi has a significant risk of misidentification because it also contains common mushrooms that are consumed.

Fungi: Pleosporales / Dothideomycetes

Fungi and the microbiome finally got on my radar. Apologies to some, but there is a lot of different items on the microbiome radar screen.

“Small intestinal fungal overgrowth (SIFO)… Two recent studies showed that 26 % (24/94) and 25.3 % (38/150) of a series of patients with unexplained GI symptoms had SIFO. …. but evidence for eradication is lacking.”Small intestinal fungal overgrowth [2015]

As I did with taxa years ago, I will be writing a blog on each one reviewing the literature. If there is sufficient data at the end, I may add it as a feature to Microbiome Prescription.

One of my reader’s results motivated this choice. The data from a Thorne Microbiome Test. About 8 out of 10 people have less of it. The person also has a Crohn’s diagnosis (with SIBO and IBS earlier).

Preventive for Fungi

The following are suggestions:

  • Reduce and keep your living space humidity at 50% or lower (typically done by dehumidifiers). EPA recommends 30-50% [EPA]; we set our dehumidifiers for 35%.

Moisture parameters and fungal communities associated with gypsum drywall in buildings [2015]

Remember, all fungi are not the same. Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities of Spices [2017] does not mention all fungi that I am reviewing. Additionally, some spices are known to have Fungal Contamination of some Common Spices [2022] and Fungi and aflatoxins associated with spices in the Sultanate of Oman [2002] which included cloves (often deem an antifungal).

Basic Information

Thorne only provided only order-level information unfortunately.

Organisms of the genus Bipolaris [a member of Pleosporales] are found in the soil and plant material. These fungi are known to be plant pathogens and infection may result from either inoculation or inhalation of the organism. Infections due to this genus are probably more common than previously recognized and have been increasingly reported in apparently immunocompetent[healthy] hosts. Currently, they should be included in the differential diagnosis of disseminated fungal disease. Genus Bipolaris have been associated with central nervous system infections, sinusitis, keratitis, peritonitis associated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, orbitopathy and allergic bronchopulmonary disease. .
In addition to the ability of this genus to cause invasive as well as ‘allergic’ disease in humans, it is
reported that a rnycotoxin produced by Bipolaris may induce lung and liver adenomas ill mice

Disseminated Bipolaris Infection in an Immunocompetent Host: An Atypical Presentation [2000]

Deep cutaneous fungal infection by Pleosporales: An exceptional pathogen in tropical Taiwan [2020] reports successful treatment with 200 mg of oral itraconazole daily for 2-10 months.

Bottom Line

Our ability to drill down further is limited because the results only report at the order level. Itraconazole, an antifungal that is the top choice for other fungi reviewed appears to work.

Fungi: Clavicipitaceae / Hypocreales / Sordariomycetes

Fungi and the microbiome finally got on my radar. Apologies to some, but there is a lot of different items on the microbiome radar screen.

“Small intestinal fungal overgrowth (SIFO)… Two recent studies showed that 26 % (24/94) and 25.3 % (38/150) of a series of patients with unexplained GI symptoms had SIFO. …. but evidence for eradication is lacking.”Small intestinal fungal overgrowth [2015]

As I did with taxa years ago, I will be writing a blog on each one reviewing the literature. If there is sufficient data at the end, I may add it as a feature to Microbiome Prescription. See also:

One of my reader’s results motivated this choice. The data from a Thorne Microbiome Test. Almost 17 out of 20 people have less of it. The person also has a Crohn’s diagnosis (with SIBO and IBS earlier).

Preventive for Fungi

The following are suggestions:

  • Reduce and keep your living space humidity at 50% or lower (typically done by dehumidifiers). EPA recommends 30-50% [EPA]; we set our dehumidifiers for 35%.

Moisture parameters and fungal communities associated with gypsum drywall in buildings [2015]

Remember, all fungi are not the same. Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities of Spices [2017] does not mention all fungi that I am reviewing. Additionally, some spices are known to have Fungal Contamination of some Common Spices [2022] and Fungi and aflatoxins associated with spices in the Sultanate of Oman [2002] which included cloves (often deem an antifungal).

Basic Information

Ergot alkaloids are highly diverse in structure, exhibit diverse effects on animals, and are produced by diverse fungi in the phylum Ascomycota, including pathogens and mutualistic symbionts of plants. These mycotoxins are best known from the fungal family Clavicipitaceae and are named for the ergot fungi that, through millennia, have contaminated grains and caused mass poisonings, with effects ranging from dry gangrene to convulsions and death. However, they are also useful sources of pharmaceuticals for a variety of medical purposes.

Ergot Alkaloids of the Family Clavicipitaceae [2017]

Bottom Line

This is an interesting fungi with little known ill-effects and some potential good effects for IBD and colitis. Thorne does not identify the genus leaving us with more uncertainty. With no clean human adverse effects (apart from Ergotism this is specific to some members of this family only).

There are two types of ergotism. The first is characterized by muscle spasms, fever and hallucinations and the victims may appear dazed, be unable to speak, become manic, or have other forms of paralysis or tremors, and suffer from hallucinations and other distorted perceptions.[16] This is caused by serotonergic stimulation of the central nervous system by some of the alkaloids.[16] The second type of ergotism is marked by violent burning, absent peripheral pulses and shooting pain of the poorly vascularized distal organs, such as the fingers and toes,[16] and are caused by effects of ergot alkaloids on the vascular system due to vasoconstriction, sometimes leading to gangrene and loss of limbs due to severely restricted blood circulation.

Wikipedia

Unless there are symptoms of ergotism, I would suggest ignoring it. Some genus may do good and other may do harm. We lack sufficient information and I do not advocate taking action without evidence to warrant it.

Fungi: Exophiala / Herpotrichiellaceae / Chaetothyriales

Fungi and the microbiome finally got on my radar. Apologies to some, but there is a lot of different items on the microbiome radar screen.

“Small intestinal fungal overgrowth (SIFO)… Two recent studies showed that 26 % (24/94) and 25.3 % (38/150) of a series of patients with unexplained GI symptoms had SIFO. …. but evidence for eradication is lacking.”Small intestinal fungal overgrowth [2015]

As I did with taxa years ago, I will be writing a blog on each one reviewing the literature. If there is sufficient data at the end, I may add it as a feature to Microbiome Prescription.

One of my reader’s results motivated this choice. The data from a Thorne Microbiome Test. Almost 9 out of 10 people have less of it. The person also has a Crohn’s diagnosis.

Preventive for Fungi

The following are suggestions:

  • Reduce and keep your living space humidity at 50% or lower (typically done by dehumidifiers). EPA recommends 30-50% [EPA]; we set our dehumidifiers for 35%.

Moisture parameters and fungal communities associated with gypsum drywall in buildings [2015]

Remember, all fungi are not the same. Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities of Spices [2017] does not mention this fungi. Additionally, some spices are known to have Fungal Contamination of some Common Spices [2022] and Fungi and aflatoxins associated with spices in the Sultanate of Oman [2002] which included cloves (often deem an antifungal).

Basic Information

Image from [Mycology]

It is sometime identified as  black yeast fungus.

Treatment

Cleaning Dishwashers etc

The conventional advice is to use vinegar,baking soda or bleach. Studies indicate that it tolerates a very wide variety of pH (Roles of the pH signaling transcription factor PacC in Wangiella (Exophialadermatitidis [2009] ), i.e. pH 2.5 to pH 8 with most effective to inhibit being pH 2.5 (where Vinegar is). Bleach is pH 11-13, so likely also effective.

Since this often is black in appearance, sinks and other places should be regularly checked for any black discoloring which could indicate mold..

Bottom Line

This attempts to summarize the current information on Exophiala.

Fungi: Malassezia / Malasseziaceae / Malasseziales / Malasseziomycetes / Basidiomycota

Fungi and the microbiome finally got on my radar. Apologies to some, but there is a lot of different items on the microbiome radar screen.

“Small intestinal fungal overgrowth (SIFO)… Two recent studies showed that 26 % (24/94) and 25.3 % (38/150) of a series of patients with unexplained GI symptoms had SIFO. …. but evidence for eradication is lacking.”

Small intestinal fungal overgrowth [2015]

As I did with taxa years ago, I will be writing a blog on each one reviewing the literature. If there is sufficient data at the end, I may add it as a feature to Microbiome Prescription.

One of my reader’s results motivated review using Xenogene (ES) and Thorne (USA) reports that have been shared. The data from a shotgun test by Thorne had this being the highest fungi. They reported the percentile ranking of over 90%ile (i.e. 9 of 10 people who has this fungi, has less). This was their highest percentile and of concern is that this specific fungi is associated with Crohn’s disease which they have (as does 26 other people who have spared their microbiome test results).

Basic Information

ProductFormulationInstructionEvidence level and strength of recommendationReference
Systemic treatment
Itraconazole200 mg daily up to 3 weeksA I-ii(77, 78)
Fluconazole100–200 mg daily for 1–4 weeksB III(79, 80)
Fluconazole300 mg once weekly for 1–2 monthsB IV(82)
IsotretinoinDosed as in the treatment of acneC III(81)
From Evidence-based Danish Guidelines for the Treatment of Malassezia-related Skin Diseases [2015]

In terms of non-prescription items:

Antifungal activity of herbal extracts against Malassezia species[2015] lists

  • nettle leaves (Urtica dioica),
  • colocynths fruits (Citrullus colocynthis),
  • green tea (Camellia sinensis),
  • burdock root (Arctium lappa) extracts

Anti-Malassezia furfur activity of Several Medicinal Herb [2019]

  • Cinnamomum cassia – Best: a.k.a. Chinese cinnamon,
  • Rhus javanica (next): a.k.a. Chinese Sumac
    “Rhus javanica Linn, a traditional medicinal herb from the family Anacardiaceae, has been used in the treatment of liver diseases, cancer, parasitic infections, malaria and respiratory diseases in China, Korea and other Asian countries for centuries.” [2015]

Inhibitory effect of plant essential oils on Malassezia strains from Iranian dermatitis patients [2018] reports (in decreasing order):

  • Cuminum cyminum [Cumin]
  • Lavandula stoechas [Spanish Lavender]
  • Artemisia sieberi [the desert worm wood]

More on Crohn’s Disease

” The mycobiota of CD patients were characterized by an expansion of Malassezia and a depletion of Saccharomyces, along with increased abundances of Candida albicans and Malassezia restrictaMalassezia was associated with the need for treatment escalation during follow-up”

The ileal fungal microbiota is altered in Crohn’s disease and is associated with the disease course [2022]

“The two patients whose IBD was active at the time of initiation of treatment had complete clinical and endoscopic response after 6 and 9 months of itraconazole treatment respectively …they were able to withdraw immunosuppression and anti-TNF-α therapy during the entire itraconazole treatment course and the time to relapse in two of the Crohn’s patients was at least 10 months post-itraconazole therapy

The effects of itraconazole on inflammatory bowel disease activity in patients treated for histoplasmosis [2010]

The Montreal Heart Institute[2022] is sponsoring a clinical trail on terbinafine and itraconazole to treat Crohn’s Disease.[Website][WHO Trial Information]

Bottom Line

This attempts to summarize the current information on Malasseziaceae.

Preventive for Fungi

The following are suggestions:

  • Reduce and keep your living space humidity at 50% or lower (typically done by dehumidifiers). EPA recommends 30-50% [EPA]; we set our dehumidifiers for 35%.

Moisture parameters and fungal communities associated with gypsum drywall in buildings [2015]

Remember, all fungi are not the same. Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities of Spices [2017] does not mention this fungi. Additionally, some spices are known to have Fungal Contamination of some Common Spices [2022] and Fungi and aflatoxins associated with spices in the Sultanate of Oman [2002] which included cloves (often deem an antifungal).

Symptoms/Diagnosis association to Bacteria

This is a continuation of Bacteria interacting with Bacteria thread looking at proforma analysis methods and suggesting better processes. My orientation in clinical treatment. When I read a paper such as the one quote below, I roll my eyes. We know Bifidobacterium is less but how much less is needed in an individual sample is unanswered. Similarly which strains or species are shifted is unanswered.

We identified phylum- through genus-wide differences in bacterial abundance including decreased Firmicutes, increased Bacteroidetes, and decreased Bifidobacterium in the microbiome of AD participants. 

Gut microbiome alterations in Alzheimer`s disease. Scientific reports (Sci Rep ) Vol: 7 Issue 1 Pages: 13537
Pub: 2017 Oct 19 Epub: 2017 Oct 19 

This is the reality for hundreds of papers listed here.

I run a citizen science site where many people(2100+) have uploaded their samples (5200+ – usually 16s) and a significant number(1900+) have annotated their samples with symptoms. Walking down the same Chi2 path as I did with bacteria, we get some potentially interesting insights. I am a statistician by training and work experience.

General Approach

We look at the number of bacteria with low/high bacteria with a specific symptom (say 300 reports) and compare it to others. What others is can be one of the following:

  • Those reporting symptoms but not this symptoms (leaving 1600 samples)
  • All people without this symptoms (leaving 4900 samples).

My experience is that having significantly more samples results in higher Chi2 values despite the others including some with the symptoms. Conceptually, we may have a lower Chi2 value because of this.

For our example symptoms, Neurological-Audio: Tinnitus (ringing in ear) with 433 samples with this annotation. The table below shows the average percentile ranking.

Tax NameTax rankTinnitus
Mean
Others
Mean
unclassified Herbaspirillumnorank50.322.6
Lacrimispora saccharolyticaspecies78.153.1
unclassified Sutterellanorank31.152.6
Collinsella tanakaeispecies60.143.0
Prevotella paludivivensspecies32.948.7
Proteusgenus61.646.0
Desulfonatronovibriogenus54.238.8
Tepidimicrobium xylanilyticumspecies62.347.1
Prevotella oralisspecies37.752.5
Bifidobacterium gallicumspecies33.147.9
Bifidobacterium adolescentisspecies36.748.8

We are going to use Bifidobacterium gallicum (NCBI 78342) because of the number of samples(1400+) reporting it. What we got is below. From this we can infer odds such as:

  • Below 22%ile levels is a double the risk of having Tinnitus
  • Below 9%ile levels is four times the risk of having Tinnitus
PercentileExpectedObsChi2
10.7913190.6
97.112974.1
107.93068.7
2217.384037.7
3124.494524.9
3628.444923.2
4737.13519.8
4938.71528.9
5039.5539.2
5140.29549.5
5241.08559.8
5341.875610.1
5442.665812.0
5543.456014.0
5644.246114.4
6248.98629.1
6349.77639.5
6450.566511.5
6853.72668.8
6954.51667.8
7156.09677.3
7256.88687.8
7357.67698.2
7559.25719.3
7861.62727.9
7962.417410.2
8667.94755.2
9171.89762.6
9373.47772.4
9675.84781.5
9978.21790.8

Looking at a bacteria that is available as a probiotics, Bifidobacterium adolescentis (NCBI 1680) and plotting the Chi2 against the percentiles we find that the probability of having Tinnitus has a threshold around 70%ile, or in percentage terms 0.43% of the microbiome. Y axis is Chi2, X axis is the percentile of others.

Each of the above taxa are contributor to the risk of Tinnitus without any being the single cause.

We have 79 of 433 samples annotated with Tinnitus (18.2%) having Bifidobacterium adolescentis. With non Tinnitus we have 2395 out of 4800 samples (49.9%) having Bifidobacterium adolescentis suggesting that not having Bifidobacterium adolescentis is a significant risk factor for developing Tinnitus.

Other Candidate Probiotics

Tinnitus
Mean
Others
Mean
Tinnitus
Frequency
Other
Frequency
Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum
NCBI 28026
53.645.28%7%
Bifidobacterium dentium
NCBI 1689
554514%20%
Bifidobacterium catenulatum
NCBI1686
24.643.812%23%
Limosilactobacillus fermentum
NCBI 1613
51.942.512%10%
Bifidobacterium kashiwanohense PV20-2
NCBI 1447716
31.445.19%20%
Bifidobacterium catenulatum subsp. kashiwanohense
NCBI 630129
334511%21%
Ligilactobacillus NCBI 276788737.94911%14%

Digging Deeper

We have a well studied taxa as a key candidate, Bifidobacterium adolescentis. Let us look at this 2022 article, The Role of Gut Dysbiosis in the Pathophysiology of Tinnitus: A Literature Review (tinnitusjournal.com) which cites “It has been previously described that the presence of tinnitus is related to the decrease in inhibitory neurotransmitters such as GABA and an increase in excitatory neurotransmitters. Besides, the increased GABAergic inhibitory neurons and decreased excitatory responses have been successfully reported to prevent tinnitus, proving the role of neurotransmitter modulation in tinnitus.”

We then find related studies:

This suggests that an appropriate clinical trail of a Bifidobacterium adolescentis that is both human sourced and a high GABA producer should be done. Ideally with good persistence probability. A further key factor is to determine the pH value for people with tinnitus since studies have shown that the amount of GABA production is deeply influenced by the pH.

We have a lots of other taxa to investigate.

Bottom Line

Using Chi2 and percentiles of samples seem to be different sides of the same coin. The information gleamed from using this approach may often have direct clinical consequences, i.e. for Tinnitus, taking Bifidobacterium adolescentis probiotics and making diet changes to support this bacteria.

The key aspect of this post is not Tinnitus but methodology. From existing data, a lot more items with statistical significance can be extracted.