Universal gut microbiome-derived signature predicts cirrhosis

Date:
June 30, 2020
Source:
University of California - San Diego
Summary:
Researchers report that stool microbiomes of NAFLD patients are
distinct enough to potentially be used to accurately predict which
persons with NAFLD are at greatest risk for having cirrhosis.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the leading cause of chronic
liver disease worldwide, affecting an estimated one-quarter of the
global population.

It is a progressive condition that, in worst cases, can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer, liver failure and death.


==========================================================================
In a new paper published online June 30, 2020 in Cell Metabolism, a team
of scientists, led by researchers at University of California San Diego
School of Medicine, report that stool microbiomes -- the collection
of microorganisms found in fecal matter and in the gastrointestinal
tract -- of NAFLD patients are distinct enough to potentially be used
to accurately predict which persons with NAFLD are at greatest risk for
having cirrhosis -- the late-stage, irreversible scarring of the liver
that often requires eventual organ transplantation.

"The findings represent the possibility of creating an accurate, stool microbiome-based, non-invasive test to identify patients at greatest
risk for cirrhosis," said senior author Rohit Loomba, MD, professor of
medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at UC San Diego School of
Medicine and director of its NAFLD Research Center. "Such a diagnostic
tool is urgently needed." Loomba said a novel aspect of the study is
the external validation of gut microbiome signatures of cirrhosis in participant cohorts from China and Italy.

"This is one of the first studies to show such a robust external
validation of a gut microbiome-based signature across ethnicities and geographically distinct cohorts.

The work builds upon previous published research in 2017 and 2019 by
Loomba and colleagues.

A link between NAFLD and the gut microbiome is well-documented,
but specifics were scant and it has not been clear that discrete
metagenomics and metabolomics signatures might be used to detect
and predict cirrhosis. In the latest study, researchers compared
the stool microbiomes of 163 participants encompassing patients with NAFLD-cirrhosis, their first-degree relatives and control-patients
without NAFLD.

Combining metagenomics signatures with participants' ages and serum
albumin (an abundant blood protein produced in the liver) levels, the scientists were able to accurately distinguish cirrhosis in participants differing by cause of disease and geography.

The next step, said Loomba, is to establish causality of these gut
microbial species or their metabolites in causing cirrhosis, and whether
this test can be used and scaled up for clinical use.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
University_of_California_-_San_Diego. Original written by Scott
LaFee. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Tae Gyu Oh, Susy M. Kim, Cyrielle Caussy, Ting Fu, Jian Guo, Shirin
Bassirian, Seema Singh, Egbert V. Madamba, Ricki Bettencourt,
Lisa Richards, Manuela Raffatellu, Pieter C. Dorrestein, Ruth
T. Yu, Annette R. Atkins, Tao Huan, David A. Brenner, Claude
B. Sirlin, Rob Knight, Michael Downes, Ronald M. Evans, Rohit
Loomba. A Universal Gut- Microbiome-Derived Signature Predicts
Cirrhosis. Cell Metabolism, 2020; DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2020.06.005 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200630125126.htm

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