Abstract
Obesity is a major risk factor for developing gallstone disease (GSD). Previous studies have shown that obesity is associated with an elevated Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in the gut microbiota. These findings suggest that the development of GSD may be related to gut dysbiosis. This review presents and summarizes the recent findings of studies on the gut microbiota in patients with GSD. Most of the studies on the gut microbiota in patients with GSD have shown a significant increase in the phyla Firmicutes (Lactobacillaceae family, genera Clostridium, Ruminococcus, Veillonella, Blautia, Dorea, Anaerostipes, and Oscillospira), Actinobacteria (Bifidobacterium genus), Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes (genera Bacteroides, Prevotella, and Fusobacterium) and a significant decrease in the phyla Bacteroidetes (family Muribaculaceae, and genera Bacteroides, Prevotella, Alistipes, Paludibacter, Barnesiella), Firmicutes (genera Faecalibacterium, Eubacterium, Lachnospira, and Roseburia), Actinobacteria (Bifidobacterium genus), and Proteobacteria (Desulfovibrio genus). The influence of GSD on microbial diversity is not clear. Some studies report that GSD reduces microbial diversity in the bile, whereas others suggest the increase in microbial diversity in the bile of patients with GSD. The phyla Proteobacteria (especially family Enterobacteriaceae) and Firmicutes (Enterococcus genus) are most commonly detected in the bile of patients with GSD. On the other hand, the composition of bile microbiota in patients with GSD shows considerable inter-individual variability. The impact of GSD on the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio is unclear and reports are contradictory. For this reason, it should be stated that the results of reviewed studies do not allow for drawing unequivocal conclusions regarding the relationship between GSD and the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in the microbiota.
Highlights
Obesity is defined as excessive fat accumulation that may impair health; obesity is a result of an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure [1,2]
Obesity is a major risk factor for developing gallstone disease (GSD) [9,10,11,12] because it is accompanied by increased synthesis and excretion of cholesterol into bile [13], wherein the amount of cholesterol produced is directly proportional to being overweight [11].Obesity is regarded as an inflammatory condition [14]
In an adult Ukrainian population, the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio was significantly associated with body mass index (BMI) (OR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.09–1.38)
Summary
Obesity is defined as excessive fat accumulation that may impair health; obesity is a result of an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure [1,2]. Clostridium, Bacteroides and Prevotella, and positively correlated with Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus [29].The results of the studies on the relationship between GSD, obesity, and incretin hormones remain controversial. Despite the increasing number of scientific publications on the gut microbiota in obesity, there is a lack of studies that assess the gut microbiota in GSD. Research on this topic is limited and mainly focused on the study of certain genera and species of microorganisms, but not the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. This review presents and summarizes the recent findings of studies on the gut microbiota in patients with GSD regarding the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, as a possible biomarker of obesity, given that obesity is a key risk factor for GSD. A greater richness and diversity of bacterial species in the human intestine may be an indicator of health [45,47,48]
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