Mucosa-associated microbiota in HCV post-SVR patients and controls

Achieving sustained virologic response (SVR) in patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) reduces all-cause mortality. However, the mechanisms and risk factors for liver fibrosis and portal hypertension post-SVR remain incompletely understood. In the gut-liver axis, mucosa-associated microbiota (MAM) substantially influence immune and metabolic functions, displaying spatial heterogeneity at the anatomical intestinal site. We analyzed MAM composition and function to isolate the locoregional MAM involved in chronic liver disease progression in HCV post-SVR patients. Total colonoscopy was performed following the usual colonoscopy preparation using polyethylene glycol. The mucosal surface was gently scraped using a sterile cytology brush and for each respective case, samples were collected from terminal ileum, ascending colon, and sigmoid colon. Additionally, stool samples were collected on the day of examination.