Khaberni - The Technical University of Munich announced the results of a recent study published in the journal Nature Microbiology, where the team analyzed bacterial communities in saliva and stool samples from 86 patients. It was found that the oral and gut microbiomes undergo significant changes as chronic liver diseases worsen. In healthy individuals, the microbiome varies between body sites, but in patients, the oral-enteric strains become more similar as the disease progresses. It was also indicated that changes in the microbiome can be detected in early stages of the disease, suggesting a connection between the mouth and the liver in these cases.
Microbiome changes with disease progression
The team observed that familiar oral bacterial strains colonized the intestines of the patients, and that the presence of these strains is usually limited in the healthy gut of healthy individuals. Analyses also detected genes that encode collagen-degrading enzymes in these bacteria, and it was shown that the resulting enzymes are active when testing isolates from stool. The results showed that higher levels of these oral bacteria in stool samples are associated with damage to the gut barrier, which could allow bacteria and their compounds to pass to other organs such as the liver.
Potential therapeutic mechanisms and implications
The study confirmed that collagen degradation can weaken the gut barrier, allowing bacterial products to reach the liver and exacerbate the disease. Based on this, researchers said that protecting or restoring the gut barrier could help slow the progression of the disease, and targeting the oral microbiome offers an option to positively impact the course of the disease and avoid clinical complications. The findings suggest the possibility of developing therapeutic strategies focused on reducing the transfer of microbes from the mouth to the gut or modifying the oral environment to contribute to liver health.
