Gut Bacteria in Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease

Clin Liver Dis. 2024 Nov;28(4):663-679. doi: 10.1016/j.cld.2024.06.008. Epub 2024 Jul 24.

Abstract

Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) poses a significant global public health challenge, with high patient mortality rates and economic burden. The gut microbiome plays an important role in the onset and progression of alcohol-associated liver disease. Excessive alcohol consumption disrupts the intestinal barrier, facilitating the entry of harmful microbes and their products into the liver, exacerbating liver damage. Dysbiosis, marked by imbalance in gut bacteria, correlates with ALD severity. Promising microbiota-centered therapies include probiotics, phages, and fecal microbiota transplantation. Clinical trials demonstrate the potential of these interventions to improve liver function and patient outcomes, offering a new frontier in ALD treatment.

Keywords: Dysbiosis; FMT; Microbiome; Microbiota.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Dysbiosis*
  • Fecal Microbiota Transplantation*
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome*
  • Liver Diseases, Alcoholic* / microbiology
  • Liver Diseases, Alcoholic* / therapy
  • Liver Function Tests
  • Probiotics* / therapeutic use