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Microbiome

The gut–liver axis in HCV infection

Nature Microbiology volume 8, pages 6–7 (2023)Cite this article

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Longitudinal sampling of patients with hepatitis C virus before and after elimination of the virus reveals links between functions of the gut microbiome and liver disease.

Globally, 58 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV)1, leading to fibrosis (that is, scarring of the liver), cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer. The gut and liver are connected through the hepatic portal vein, forming the gut–liver axis, but the relationship between gut processes and HCV infection outcome is poorly understood. In particular, interactions between the gut microbiome and the liver in HCV infection and fibrosis are an emergent area of research because perturbation of the gut–liver axis may have metabolic and immunologic consequences that persist after treatment. Now writing in Nature Microbiology, Ali and colleagues2 present a longitudinal multi-omics analysis designed to determine the impacts of gut microbiome processes and fibrosis on immunologic and metabolic outcomes in individuals with HCV. The study encompasses portal and peripheral blood, faeces and liver tissues, as well as the use of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy to generate a sustained virologic response (SVR) or long-term evidence of viral eradication ≥12 weeks after DAA treatment.

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Fig. 1: Dynamics of HCV infection.

References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Kira L. Newman & Nobuhiko Kamada

Authors
  1. Kira L. Newman
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  2. Nobuhiko Kamada
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Correspondence to Kira L. Newman or Nobuhiko Kamada.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Newman, K.L., Kamada, N. The gut–liver axis in HCV infection. Nat Microbiol 8, 6–7 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-022-01277-8

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