Frontiers in Microbiology (Apr 2024)

From gut to liver: unveiling the differences of intestinal microbiota in NAFL and NASH patients

  • Furong Huang,
  • Furong Huang,
  • Furong Huang,
  • Bo Lyu,
  • Bo Lyu,
  • Fanci Xie,
  • Fanci Xie,
  • Fang Li,
  • Fang Li,
  • Fang Li,
  • Yufeng Xing,
  • Yufeng Xing,
  • Zhiyi Han,
  • Zhiyi Han,
  • Jianping Lai,
  • Jinmin Ma,
  • Yuanqiang Zou,
  • Yuanqiang Zou,
  • Hua Zeng,
  • Hua Zeng,
  • Zhe Xu,
  • Zhe Xu,
  • Zhe Xu,
  • Pan Gao,
  • Pan Gao,
  • Pan Gao,
  • Yonglun Luo,
  • Yonglun Luo,
  • Yonglun Luo,
  • Yonglun Luo,
  • Yonglun Luo,
  • Yonglun Luo,
  • Lars Bolund,
  • Lars Bolund,
  • Lars Bolund,
  • Lars Bolund,
  • Lars Bolund,
  • Guangdong Tong,
  • Guangdong Tong,
  • Guangdong Tong,
  • Guangdong Tong,
  • Xu Fengping,
  • Xu Fengping,
  • Xu Fengping,
  • Xu Fengping

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1366744
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15

Abstract

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Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasingly recognized for its global prevalence and potential progression to more severe liver diseases such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of NAFLD, yet the detailed characteristics and ecological alterations of gut microbial communities during the progression from non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) to NASH remain poorly understood. Methods: In this study, we conducted a comparative analysis of gut microbiota composition in individuals with NAFL and NASH to elucidate differences and characteristics. We utilized 16S rRNA sequencing to compare the intestinal gut microbiota among a healthy control group (65 cases), NAFL group (64 cases), and NASH group (53 cases). Random forest machine learning and database validation methods were employed to analyze the data. Results: Our findings indicate a significant decrease in the diversity of intestinal flora during the progression of NAFLD (p < 0.05). At the phylum level, high abundances of Bacteroidetes and Fusobacteria were observed in both NAFL and NASH patients, whereas Firmicutes were less abundant. At the genus level, a significant decrease in Prevotella expression was seen in the NAFL group (AUC 0.738), whereas an increase in the combination of Megamonas and Fusobacterium was noted in the NASH group (AUC 0.769). Furthermore, KEGG pathway analysis highlighted significant disturbances in various types of glucose metabolism pathways in the NASH group compared to the NAFL group, as well as notably compromised flavonoid and flavonol biosynthesis functions. The study uncovers distinct microbiota characteristics and microecological changes within the gut during the transition from NAFL to NASH, providing insights that could facilitate the discovery of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for NAFLD.

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