VIDEO: Microbiota composition, functionality normalizes after liver transplant

WASHINGTON — In this exclusive video from The Liver Meeting 2017, Jasmohan S. Bajaj, MD, from the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., discusses results of a study that assessed the microbiome composition and function after liver transplantation.

“What we do know in patients with cirrhosis is that there’s a lot of dysbiosis, which is changes in the microbiome, which are unfavorable to the body, and these can reverse after liver transplant,” he told Healio Gastroenterology and Liver Disease. “However, what we do not know is whether the functional changes brought by the microbiome and their host microbiota interactions also change hand-in-hand.”

Bajaj and colleagues enrolled patients with cirrhosis who underwent liver transplantation from deceased donor livers. The researchers selected patients who did not have an overly complicated postoperative course. Follow-up was a minimum of 6 months.

Results showed that patients had improved liver function, decreased BMI, improved systolic and diastolic blood pressure and serum glucose levels remained the same.

After analyzing the composition of the microbiota and its functionality, researchers found that endotoxin levels decreased significantly posttransplant. They also found that the number of types of bacteria present in patient stool increased.

“To put a long story short, what we found in patients with liver transplant, especially those who were stable after liver transplant, that there is a return to almost semi-normalcy, not only in the microbial composition but microbial function as well,” Bajaj said. – by Talitha Bennett

Reference:

Bajaj JS, et al. Abstract 90. Presented at: The Liver Meeting; Oct. 20-24, 2017; Washington, D.C.

Disclosure: Bajaj reports he received grants or research support from Salix and Grifols; and is a consultant to Abbott, Norgine and Valeant.