Gut Microbiota and Complications of Liver Disease.
Chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and its complications are epidemic worldwide. Most complications are mediated through a dysfunctional gut-liver axis. New techniques have made culture-independent analysis of the gut microbiome widespread. With insight into an unfavorable microbiome (dysbiosis) and how it affects liver disease, investigators have discovered new targets to potentially improve outcomes. Dysbiosis is associated with endotoxemia and propagates liver injury due to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and alcohol. The composition and functionality of the microbiome changes with the development of cirrhosis, decompensation, and with treatments for these conditions. Gut microbiota can be used to predict clinically relevant outcomes in cirrhosis.
Division of General Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1200 E Broad St, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.
Chathur
C
Acharya
Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, McGuire VA Medical Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1201 Broad Rock Boulevard, Richmond, VA 23249, USA. Electronic address: jsbajaj@vcu.edu.
Jasmohan S
JS
Bajaj
D002908:Chronic Disease; D064806:Dysbiosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology*; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*
Alcoholic liver disease; Bacteroidetes; Bile acids; Cirrhosis; Dysbiosis; Firmicutes; Microbiome; Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis