Fecal microbiome distinguish patiens with hepatitis E from healthy individuals

Hepatitis E (HE) virus clearance in human body was under the controls of immune system, therefore, intestinal microbiota was probably considered as an important factor that can influence HEV susceptibility, pathogenesis, and clinical outcome. Here we characterized HE exacerbation- associated the intestinal microbiota of patients with acute liver failure (ALF), patients with acute icteric hepatitis E (AIH), patients with acute non-icteric hepatitis E (ANIH) and healthy controls were butyrate-producers using shotgun metagenomics technology. We found the majority of species that enriched in the ALF group were from the genera Streptococcus and Veillonella, and the majority of those enriched in the ANIH group and healthy controls were butyrate-producers. Thus, we referred that changes in gut microbiota are closely related to the severity of hepatitis E and provided insight into the understanding of the roles of intestinal microbiome in HE exacerbation.