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Gut microbiota dysbiosis in patients with hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis

Wu Shu¹, Chen Shanjian¹, Lin Jinpiao¹

¹The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, No. 20 Chazhong Road, Fuzhou, CN; Fujian Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Fuzhou, CN; Gene Diagnosis Research Center, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, CN.

Annals of Hepatology

|January 30, 2022

Insights

Gut microbiota composition changes in early stages of hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis. These alterations in the gut microbiome may drive the progression of liver cirrhosis.

Area of Science:

Gastroenterology
Microbiology
Hepatology

Background:

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a global health issue caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, potentially leading to liver cirrhosis.
The link between HBV-related cirrhosis (HBV-RC) and gut microbiota dysbiosis remains poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the gut microbiota's compositional and functional characteristics in patients with HBV-RC compared to healthy individuals.
To identify specific microbial changes associated with different stages of cirrhosis.

Main Methods:

Fecal samples from HBV-RC patients and healthy controls were analyzed using 16S rRNA and metagenomic sequencing.
Microbial composition was assessed across various taxonomic levels (genera, families, orders, classes, phyla).
Functional analysis was performed using PICRUSt to predict gene functions.

Main Results:

Significant alterations in gut microbiota composition were observed, even in the early stages of cirrhosis.
Over 17 genera showed differential abundance between compensated and decompensated cirrhosis groups.
Predicted functional analysis indicated that changes in bacterial composition correlate with altered gene functions, potentially contributing to cirrhosis development.

Conclusions:

Gut microbiota composition undergoes significant changes during the progression of HBV-related cirrhosis.
Microbiome shifts are implicated as a potential biological factor in the advancement of liver cirrhosis.

Read full analysis

Abstract

Introduction And Aim:

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a global epidemic disease that results from hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and may progress to liver cirrhosis. The relationship between hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis (HBV-RC) and gut microbiota dysbiosis is still unclear. The aim of this study is to elucidate the compositional and functional characteristics of the gut microbiota in the patients with liver cirrhosis and healthy individuals.

Materials And Methods:

We analyzed the gut microbiome in patients with HBV-RC and healthy individuals by 16S rRNA sequencing and metagenomic sequencing of fecal samples. A total of 113 genera, 85 families, 57 orders, 44 classes and 21 phyla were performed.

Results:

Our results suggests that the composition of the gut microbiota had changed in the early stages of cirrhosis. We further identified more than 17 genera with different richness in compensated and decompensated cirrhosis groups. PICRUSt analysis showed that changes in bacterial composition can lead to significant changes in gene function, which may be one of the causes of liver cirrhosis.

Conclusion:

Our study demonstrated that the composition of gut microbiota changed at different phases of HBV-RC. Gut microbiome transformation may be a biological factor in the progression of cirrhosis.

Keywords:

Dysbiosis Gut microbiota Hepatitis B virus Liver cirrhosis Metagenomic sequencing

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