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. 2022 May 18;10(5):1045. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms10051045

Table 1.

Studies characterizing the composition of the gut microbiota in NAFLD/NASH.

Author Reference Country Study Design Participants Changes in the Composition of Gut Microbiota in NAFLD Key Findings
[38] France Cross-sectional study 57 NAFLD
35 NASH
Actinobacteria
Bacteroides
Ruminococcus
Prevotella
No change in Firmicutes
Ruminococcus
was significant in NASH
Gut microbiota can be one of the prognostic tools to evaluate NAFLD progression and severity
[40] Canada Prospective cross-sectional study 33 NAFLD:
11 simple steatosis
22 NASH
17 healthy controls
C. Coccoides in NASH
Bacteroidetes in NASH compared to the SS and HCC
The relationship between Bacteroidetes and liver disease state was not dependent on the increase in BMI or diet
[41] United States Cross-sectional study 44 NAFLD
29 healthy controls
Bacteroidetes
Prevotella
Gemmiger
Oscillospira
↓ Bacterial diversity in patients with NAFLD compared to controls contributed to an increase in the rate of inflammation in NAFLD
[35] United States Prospective, observational, cross-sectional study 87 NAFLD
37 healthy controls
Bacteroidetes
Proteobacteria
Firmicutes
↓ α-diversity in NAFLD was attributed to the differences in bacterial abundance rather than an increase in specific phyla or genus
↑ Pro-inflammatory bacterial products (LPS) in patients with NAFLD
[36] United States Case-control 22 NASH
25 obese
16 healthy controls
Bacteroides (Prevotella)
Proteobacteria (Escherichia)
Firmicutes
Actinobacteria
↑ Abundance of ethanol producing bacteria (Escherichia) in patients with NASH contributed to disease progression
↑ Ethanol-producing bacteria (Escherichia) was attributed to the use of antibiotics
[39] Italy Case-control 61 NASH/NAFL
54 healthy controls
Actinobacteria
Bradyrhizobium
Anaerococcus
Peptoniphilus
Propionibacterium acnes
Enterobacteriaceae (Escherichia coli)
Dorea
Ruminococcus
Bacteroidetes
Oscillospira
Rikenellaceae
↓ Microbial diversity in NASH/NAFL
Bacteroidaceae and
Bacteroides were in NAFL and NASH, while it ↑ in obese patients compared to controls
↑ Ethanol-producing bacteria (Enterobacteriaceae) in NAFL/NASH compared to controls
[37] Canada Case-control 30 NAFLD
30 healthy controls
Proteobacteria
Firmicutes
Bacteroidetes
Fecal ester volatile organic compounds could influence the microbiome composition of patients with NAFLD in an unfavorable way

BMI, body mass index; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; LPS, lipopolysaccharide; NAFL, nonalcoholic fatty liver; NAFLD, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; NASH, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; SS, steatohepatitis; ↑, increase; and ↓, decrease.