Abstract
BackgroundChronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection-reduced liver functions are associated with intestinal microbial community dissimilarity. This study aimed to investigate the microbial community dissimilarity in patients with different grades of HBV-related liver cirrhosis.ResultsSerum endotoxin was increased with Child–Pugh (CP) class (A, B, and C). Veillonellaceae and Lachnospiraceae families were reduced in patients compared with controls. Megamonas and Veillonella genus was reduced and increased in patients compared with controls, respectively, especially in CPB and CPC groups. Correlation analysis showed that endotoxin content was significantly correlated with alcohol consumption (95% CI 0.100, 0.493), CP class (95% CI 0.289, 0.687) and Lachnospiraceae family level (95% CI − 0.539, − 0.122). Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio was correlated with the level of Lachnospiraceae family (95% CI 0.013, 0.481), Veillonellaceae family (95% CI 0.284, 0.696), Megamonas genus (95% CI 0.101, 0.518) and Veillonella genus (95% CI 0.134, 0.545). All aforementioned bacteria were independent risk or protective factors for hepatitis. Alcohol consumption changed microbial community.ConclusionsOur study demonstrated that elevated Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, reduced Megamonas genus level and increased Veillonella genus level were indicators for HBV-related liver cirrhosis. Alcohol-related pathogenesis was associated with the changed microbial community.
Highlights
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection-reduced liver functions are associated with intestinal microbial community dissimilarity
Serum diamine oxidase (DAO) and d-lactate contents were equivalent in patients with CP class A (n = 30), B (n = 31) and C (n = 19) HBVrelated cirrhosis
Alcohol consumption showed borderline significance in elevating Megamonas genus level (p = 0.055, β = 35.693, 0.476–2.129 × 1031, p = 0.055). These results showed that alcohol consumption was not the independent risk factor for serum d-lactate, endotoxin, DAO and the microbial community dissimilarity in patients with HBV-related liver cirrhosis
Summary
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection-reduced liver functions are associated with intestinal microbial community dissimilarity. Stearns et al showed that alcohol consumption increased the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes [11], which is used as a parameter of obese [12, 13], lipid metabolism [14] and insulin resistance [15]. These observations showed gut microbiota dysbiosis was relevant to HBV infection and might benefit in the progression to severe liver failure like HCC and liver disease. The association of microbial community dissimilarity with patients with HBV-related liver cirrhosis was unclear till
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