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Gut microbiota changes and chronic hepatitis C virus infection
Tomislav Preveden1, Emidio Scarpellini2, Natasa Milić3
1a Faculty of Medicine, Clinic for Infectious Diseases , University of Novi Sad , Novi Sad , Serbia.
Expert Review of Gastroenterology & Hepatology
|June 17, 2017
Summary
Hepatitis C virus infection alters gut microbiota, increasing intestinal permeability and inflammation, impacting liver disease progression. Understanding the gut-liver axis is key, with probiotics showing potential for managing cirrhosis.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology
- Microbiology
- Immunology
Background:
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects 150 million globally.
- The gut-liver axis describes the bidirectional communication between the gut and liver.
- Altered gut microbiota is increasingly recognized in chronic liver disease pathogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview of intestinal microflora in Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
- To describe host reactions during chronic Hepatitis C (CHC).
- To review clinical trials on probiotics for CHC.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of gut microbiota composition in CHC.
- Analysis of host immune responses in relation to gut dysbiosis.
- Synthesis of data from clinical trials investigating probiotic interventions.
Main Results:
- HCV patients exhibit stable gut microbiota composition across disease stages, distinct from other liver conditions.
- HCV infection increases intestinal permeability, initiating and maintaining gut dysbiosis and inflammation.
- This dysbiosis contributes to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development.
Conclusions:
- Gut microbiota unbalance significantly impacts liver disease development in HCV.
- HCV eradication highlights the crucial role of the gut-liver axis.
- Probiotics may offer future therapeutic strategies to alter cirrhosis progression in HCV patients.
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