From Cirrhosis to the Dysbiosis (A Loop of Cure or Complications?)

Abstract

Gut dysbiosis and liver cirrhosis are two corelated complications that highly disturbs the metabolism of a normal human body. Liver cirrhosis is scarring of the hepatic tissue and gut dysbiosis is the imbalance in the microbiome of the gut. Gut dysbiosis in cirrhosis occurs due to increased permeability of the intestinal membrane which might induce immune responses and damage the normal functioning of the body. Dysbiosis can cause liver damage from cirrhosis and can further lead to liver failure by hepatocellular carcinoma. In this review we discuss if eubiosis can revert the poorly functioning cirrhotic liver to normal functioning state? A normal microbiome converts various liver products into usable forms that regulates the overgrowth of microbiome in the gut. The imbalance caused by dysbiosis retards the normal functioning of liver and increases the complications. To correct this dysbiosis, measures like use of antibiotics with probiotics and prebiotics are used. This correction of the gut microbiome serves as a ray of hope to recover from this chronic illness. In case of alcohol induced liver cirrhosis, intervention of microbes can possibly be helpful in modulating the addiction as well as associated complications like depression as microbes are known to produce and consume neurotransmitters that are involved in alcohol addiction. Hence a correction of gut liver brain axis using microbiome can be a milestone achieved not only for treatment of liver cirrhosis but also for helping alcohol addicts quit and live a healthy or at least a near healthy life.

Keywords: Alcohol addiction; Gut dysbiosis; Gut liver brain axis; Gut microbiome; Leaky gut; Liver cirrhosis.