COMALF

Cross-sectional studies have shown dysbiosis in patients with alcoholic liver disease. This longitudinal study aimed at describing the changes of fecal microbiota in patients with alcoholic hepatitis (AH) and alcoholic cirrhosis (AC) and to correlate them with clinical, laboratory and nutritional parameters. We included patients referred to the University Hospital of Geneva for a liver biopsy, who were diagnosed with AH (n=10) or AC (n=12) and followed over 6 months. We collected the following data at baseline, month 3 and 6: fecal microbiota by whole metagenomic shotgun sequencing, alcohol intake, presence of jaundice or ascites, blood tests, severity of liver disease by the MELD-score, body composition, nutritional intakes and energy expenditure. AC patients experienced a decrease in plasma levels of C-reactive protein and total bilirubin, HVPG, MELD score, and an increase in their plasma levels of albumin, in comparison to AH patients. Overall microbiota profiles were significantly different between AH and AC patients at baseline. In AH patients, the relative abundances of some typically oral species significantly decreased while those of several short-chain fatty acid producers increased during the follow-up.