[Preliminary study on intestinal microflora in patients with cirrhosis]

Intestinal microflora were studied in 62 patients with cirrhosis, 14 with hepatitis and 30 normal subjects. The fecal anaerobes, total viable organisms, E.coli, enterococcus, bifidobacterium, lactobacillus and clostridium were significantly greater in number in cirrhotic patients than in normal subjects and hepatitis. Significant increase in fecal enterococcus and clostridium was observed in the patients recently recovered from hepatic coma as compared with the patients without hepatic coma. Bifidobacterium was increased in cirrhotic patients between patients with or without LLT (+). These data suggest that there was a tendency of the intestinal microorganisms to be increased in cirrhotic patients and the existence of possible relationship between the severity of liver function impairment and quantity of intestinal flora.