Gut dysbiosis associated with clinical prognosis of patients with primary biliary cholangitis

Abstract

Background&Aims Although some relationships between gut microbiota and liver diseases have been reported, it remains uncertain whether changes in gut microbiota owing to differences in race, food, and living environment have similar effects. Response to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) may predict the long‐term prognosis of patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC); however, little is known about the significance of the gut microbiome in PBC patients. We elucidated the relationships among clinical profiles, biochemical response to UDCA, and gut microbiome composition in PBC patients. Methods Fecal samples from 76 PBC patients treated at our hospital were collected; patients whose UDCA intake period was 69% one year after). Results Compared with healthy subjects, bacterial diversity was lower in PBC patients, with a decreased abundance of the order Clostridiales and increased abundance of Lactobacillales. The UDCA non‐responder group had a significantly lower population of the genus Faecalibacterium, known as butyrate‐producing beneficial bacteria (pClostridiales commensals was observed in PBC patients. Decrease in Faecalibacterium abundance might predict the long‐term prognosis of PBC patients.