Research Article Details

Article ID: A04221
PMID: 33709477
Source: J Gastroenterol Hepatol
Title: Gut microbiota composition associated with hepatic fibrosis in non-obese patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Abstract: BACKGROUND AND AIM: Gut microbiota composition is associated with the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. However, the association between gut microbiota composition and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in non-obese patients remains unclear. We compared clinical parameters and gut microbiota profiles of healthy controls and non-obese and obese patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. METHODS: We examined the clinical parameters and gut microbiota profiles by 16S rRNA sequences and short-chain fatty acid levels in fecal samples from 51 non-obese patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (body mass index <25&#160;kg/m2 ) and 51 obese patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (body mass index &#8805;30&#160;kg/m2 ) who underwent pathological examination and 87 controls at five hospitals in Japan. RESULTS: Although no significant differences between the non-obese and other groups were observed in alpha diversity, a significant difference was found in beta diversity. We observed a significant decrease in serum alanine aminotransferase levels, Eubacterium population, and butyric acid levels in non-obese patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease compared with those in obese patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. A significant negative correlation was found between the stage of hepatic fibrosis and Eubacterium abundance in non-obese patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. CONCLUSIONS: The decrease in the abundance of Eubacterium that produces butyric acid may play an important role in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in non-obese individuals. This study was registered at the University Hospital Medical Information Network clinical trial registration system (UMIN000020917).
DOI: 10.1111/jgh.15487