Gut dysbiosis and body composition in cirrhosis

Roman Maslennikov; Vladimir Ivashkin; Aliya Alieva; Elena Poluektova; Anna Kudryavtseva; George Krasnov; Maria Zharkova; Yuri Zharikov

doi:10.4254/wjh.v14.i6.1210

Gut dysbiosis and body composition in cirrhosis

World J Hepatol. 2022 Jun 27;14(6):1210-1225. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v14.i6.1210.

Authors

Roman Maslennikov¹, Vladimir Ivashkin¹, Aliya Alieva¹, Elena Poluektova¹, Anna Kudryavtseva², George Krasnov³, Maria Zharkova¹, Yuri Zharikov⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Sechenov University, Moscow 119435, Russia.
² Scientific Community for Human Microbiome Research, Moscow 119435, Russia.
³ Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
⁴ Department of Anatomy, Sechenov University, Moscow 119435, Russia.

Abstract

Background: Gut dysbiosis and changes in body composition (i.e., a decrease in the proportion of muscle mass and an increase in extracellular fluid) are common in cirrhosis.

Aim: To study the relationship between the gut microbiota and body composition in cirrhosis.

Methods: This observational study included 46 patients with cirrhosis. Stool microbiome was assessed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis was performed to assess body composition in these patients.

Results: An increase in fat mass and a decrease in body cell mass were noted in 23/46 (50.0%) and 15/46 (32.6%) patients, respectively. Changes in the gut microbiome were not independently associated with the fat mass percentage in cirrhosis. The abundance of Bacteroidaceae (P = 0.041) and Eggerthella (P = 0.001) increased, whereas that of Erysipelatoclostridiaceae (P = 0.006), Catenibacterium (P = 0.021), Coprococcus (P = 0.033), Desulfovibrio (P = 0.043), Intestinimonas (P = 0.028), and Senegalimassilia (P = 0.015) decreased in the gut microbiome of patients with body cell mass deficiency. The amount of extracellular fluid increased in 22/46 (47.6%) patients. Proteobacteria abundance (P < 0.001) increased, whereas Firmicutes (P = 0.023), Actinobacteria (P = 0.026), Bacilli (P = 0.008), Anaerovoraceceae (P = 0.027), Christensenellaceae (P = 0.038), Eggerthellaceae (P = 0.047), Erysipelatoclostridiaceae (P = 0.015), Erysipelotrichaceae (P = 0.003), Oscillospiraceae (P = 0.024), Rikenellaceae (P = 0.002), Collinsella (P = 0.030), Hungatella (P = 0.040), Peptococcaceae (P = 0.023), Slackia (P = 0.008), and Senegalimassilia (P = 0.024) abundance decreased in these patients. Patients with clinically significant ascites (n = 9) had a higher abundance of Proteobacteria (P = 0.031) and a lower abundance of Actinobacteria (P = 0.019) and Bacteroidetes (P = 0.046) than patients without clinically significant ascites (n = 37).

Conclusion: Changes in the amount of body cell mass and extracellular fluid are associated with changes in the gut microbiome in cirrhosis patients.

Keywords: Cirrhosis; Dysbiosis; Gut-Liver axis; Malnutrition; Microbiome; Microbiota; Sarcopenia.