Alteration of Gut Microbiota Composition in the Progression of Liver Damage in Patients with Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD)

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences 2024-04, Vol.25 (8), p.4387
• Main Authors: Zazueta, Alejandra, Valenzuela-Pérez, Lucía, Ortiz-López, Nicolás, Pinto-León, Araceli, Torres, Verónica, Guiñez, Danette, Aliaga, Nicolás, Merino, Pablo, Sandoval, Alexandra, Covarrubias, Natalia, Pérez de Arce, Edith, Cattaneo, Máximo, Urzúa, Alvaro, Roblero, Juan Pablo, Poniachik, Jaime, Gotteland, Martín, Magne, Fabien, Beltrán, Caroll Jenny
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Bacteria - classification; Bacteria - genetics; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Bacteria - metabolism; Biopsy; Chile; Comparative analysis; Development and progression; Disease Progression; Fatty Liver - metabolism; Fatty Liver - microbiology; Fatty Liver - pathology; Feces - microbiology; Female; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Gram-positive bacteria; gut–liver axis; Health care; Humans; intestinal microbiota; Liver - metabolism; Liver - pathology; Liver cirrhosis; Liver Cirrhosis - metabolism; Liver Cirrhosis - microbiology; Liver Cirrhosis - pathology; Liver diseases; liver fibrosis; Male; MASLD; Metabolism; Microbiota; Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms); Middle Aged; obesity; Obesity - complications; Obesity - metabolism; Obesity - microbiology; Pathogenesis; Pathophysiology; Physiological aspects; Somatotropin
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084387

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a complex disorder whose prevalence is rapidly growing in South America. The disturbances in the microbiota-gut-liver axis impact the liver damaging processes toward fibrosis. Gut microbiota status is shaped by dietary and lifestyle factors, depending on geographic location. We aimed to identify microbial signatures in a group of Chilean MASLD patients. Forty subjects were recruited, including healthy controls (HCs), overweight/obese subjects (Ow/Ob), patients with MASLD without fibrosis (MASLD/F-), and MASLD with fibrosis (MASLD/F+). Both MASLD and fibrosis were detected through elastography and/or biopsy, and fecal microbiota were analyzed through deep sequencing. Despite no differences in α- and β-diversity among all groups, a higher abundance of and a lower presence of Defluviitaleaceae, Lachnospiraceae ND3007, and was found in MASLD/F- and MASLD/F+, compared to HC. Ruminococcaceae UCG-013 and were more abundant in MASLD/F+ than in Ow/Ob; both significantly differed between MASLD/F- and MASLD/F+, compared to HC. Significant positive correlations were observed between liver stiffness and , , , and abundance. Our results show that MASLD is associated with changes in bacterial taxa that are known to be involved in bile acid metabolism and SCFA production, with some of them being more specifically linked to fibrosis.