title: Molecular characterization of the fecal microbiota in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis--a longitudinal study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The human gut microbiota has profound influence on host metabolism and immunity. This study characterized the fecal microbiota in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The relationship between microbiota changes and changes in hepatic steatosis was also studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fecal microbiota of histology-proven NASH patients and healthy controls was analyzed by 16S ribosomal RNA pyrosequencing. NASH patients were from a previously reported randomized trial on probiotic treatment. Proton-magnetic resonance spectroscopy was performed to monitor changes in intrahepatic triglyceride content (IHTG).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 420,344 16S sequences with acceptable quality were obtained from 16 NASH patients and 22 controls. NASH patients had lower fecal abundance of Faecalibacterium and Anaerosporobacter but higher abundance of Parabacteroides and Allisonella. Partial least-square discriminant analysis yielded a model of 10 genera that discriminated NASH patients from controls. At month 6, 6 of 7 patients in the probiotic group and 4 of 9 patients in the usual care group had improvement in IHTG (P=0.15). Improvement in IHTG was associated with a reduction in the abundance of Firmicutes (R(2)=0.4820, P=0.0028) and increase in Bacteroidetes (R(2)=0.4366, P=0.0053). This was accompanied by corresponding changes at the class, order and genus levels. In contrast, bacterial biodiversity did not differ between NASH patients and controls, and did not change with probiotic treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NASH patients have fecal dysbiosis, and changes in microbiota correlate with improvement in hepatic steatosis. Further studies are required to investigate the mechanism underlying the interaction between gut microbes and the liver.
authors: Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. wongv@cuhk.edu.hk
authors: Vincent Wai-Sun
authors: VW
authors: Wong
authors: Chi-Hang
authors: CH
authors: Tse
authors: Tommy Tsan-Yuk
authors: TT
authors: Lam
authors: Grace Lai-Hung
authors: GL
authors: Wong
authors: Angel Mei-Ling
authors: AM
authors: Chim
authors: Winnie Chiu-Wing
authors: WC
authors: Chu
authors: David Ka-Wai
authors: DK
authors: Yeung
authors: Patrick Tik-Wan
authors: PT
authors: Law
authors: Hoi-Shan
authors: HS
authors: Kwan
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Yu
authors: Joseph Jao-Yiu
authors: JJ
authors: Sung
authors: Henry Lik-Yuen
authors: HL
authors: Chan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000382:microbiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D064307:Microbiota; D008875:Middle Aged; D010802:Phylogeny; D055815:Young Adult
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