[Gut-liver axis: How intestinal bacteria affect the liver]

Abstract

Background: Liver and intestine are in close contact with each other. The risk of damage to the liver increases, when the intestinal barrier is damaged ("leaky gut") .

Method: The review article describes how intestinal bacteria influence the pathogenesis of chronic liver diseases and what treatment options are available.

Results and conclusions: Intestinal dysbiosis plays an important role in the development of chronic liver diseases such as alcoholic liver disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, primary biliary cholangitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and cirrhosis. Intestinal microbial modulating therapy with probiotics, prebiotics or synbiotics shows positive effects. The more precise meaning of this therapeutic approach needs to be clarified in further studies.

Keywords: chronic liver diseases; dysbiosis; gut microbiome; liver.