Changes in the Intestinal Microbiome during a Multispecies Probiotic Intervention in Compensated Cirrhosis

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Microbiome research
• Clinical nutrition

Background:

• Probiotics are explored for therapeutic modulation of the gut microbiome.
• Beneficial effects of probiotics in cirrhosis are noted, but their impact on patient microbiome composition remains unclear.
• Compensated cirrhosis presents a specific context for microbiome investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of a multispecies probiotic on gut microbiome composition in patients with compensated cirrhosis.
• To analyze changes in specific bacterial species and their correlation with clinical markers.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 58 compensated cirrhosis patients over six months.
• 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to analyze gut microbiome composition.
• Comparison between a daily multispecies probiotic group and a placebo group.

Main Results:

• Probiotic intervention led to enrichment with specific probiotic strains.
• Increased abundance of *Faecalibacterium prausnitzii*, *Syntrophococcus sucromutans*, *Bacteroides vulgatus*, *Alistipes shahii*, and a *Prevotella* species was observed in the probiotic group.
• Patients with microbiome changes showed increased neopterin and decreased fecal zonulin, suggesting improved gut barrier function.

Conclusions:

• Multispecies probiotics can enrich the gut microbiome with beneficial bacteria in compensated cirrhosis patients over six months.
• Probiotic treatment may beneficially alter the resident microbiome and improve gut barrier function.
• Observed changes in biomarkers (neopterin, zonulin) support the potential of probiotics in managing gut health in cirrhosis.