Gut microbiota in liver diseases: initiation, development and therapy

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology and Hepatology
• Microbiology
• Immunology

Background:

• The gut microbiota is increasingly recognized for its crucial role in liver disease pathogenesis.
• Gut dysbiosis can compromise intestinal barrier integrity and disrupt the gut-liver axis immune functions.
• This disruption contributes to the progression of various hepatic disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current research on the gut microbiota's role in liver diseases.
• To highlight diagnostic potential of analyzing gut microbial composition and metabolites.
• To explore therapeutic strategies targeting the gut microbiota for liver disease management.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of recent studies on gut microbiota and liver diseases.
• Analysis of research on microbial composition and metabolite analysis in fecal samples.
• Synthesis of findings on interventions for gut microbiota modulation.

Main Results:

• Gut microbiota dysbiosis is implicated in viral hepatitis, alcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, drug-induced hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma.
• Fecal microbial analysis provides auxiliary diagnostic information for liver diseases.
• Interventions including fecal microbiota transplantation, probiotics, prebiotics, bacteriophages, and antibiotics show therapeutic potential.

Conclusions:

• The gut microbiota is a key player in liver disease.
• Microbiota analysis offers diagnostic insights.
• Targeting the gut microbiota presents novel therapeutic avenues for liver diseases.