Gut-Liver Axis, Gut Microbiota, and Its Modulation in the Management of Liver Diseases: A Review of the Literature

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences 2019-01, Vol.20 (2), p.395
• Main Authors: Milosevic, Ivana, Vujovic, Ankica, Barac, Aleksandra, Djelic, Marina, Korac, Milos, Radovanovic Spurnic, Aleksandra, Gmizic, Ivana, Stevanovic, Olja, Djordjevic, Vladimir, Lekic, Nebojsa, Russo, Edda, Amedei, Amedeo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alcohol; Animals; Antiviral agents; Bacteria; Cirrhosis; Cytokines; Disease control; Disease Susceptibility; Dysbiosis; Fecal microflora; Fibrosis; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Gastrointestinal Tract - immunology; Gastrointestinal Tract - metabolism; Gastrointestinal Tract - microbiology; Genomes; Hepatitis; Hepatitis B e antigen; Hepatocytes; Humans; Immune system; Infections; Intestinal microflora; Kupffer cells; Literature reviews; Liver; Liver - immunology; Liver - metabolism; Liver - pathology; Liver cirrhosis; Liver diseases; Liver Diseases - etiology; Liver Diseases - metabolism; Liver Diseases - pathology; Liver Diseases - therapy; Metabolism; Metabolites; Microbiota; Microorganisms; Pathogenesis; Permeability; Prebiotics; Probiotics; Review; Stellate cells; Symbiosis; Transplantation
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms20020395

The rapid scientific interest in gut microbiota (GM) has coincided with a global increase in the prevalence of infectious and non-infectivous liver diseases. GM, which is also called "the new virtual metabolic organ", makes axis with a number of extraintestinal organs, such as kidneys, brain, cardiovascular, and the bone system. The gut-liver axis has attracted greater attention in recent years. GM communication is bi-directional and involves endocrine and immunological mechanisms. In this way, gut-dysbiosis and composition of "ancient" microbiota could be linked to pathogenesis of numerous chronic liver diseases such as chronic hepatitis B (CHB), chronic hepatitis C (CHC), alcoholic liver disease (ALD), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), development of liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this paper, we discuss the current evidence supporting a GM role in the management of different chronic liver diseases and potential new therapeutic GM targets, like fecal transplantation, antibiotics, probiotics, prebiotics, and symbiotics. We conclude that population-level shifts in GM could play a regulatory role in the gut-liver axis and, consequently, etiopathogenesis of chronic liver diseases. This could have a positive impact on future therapeutic strategies.