Your oral bacteria can have a significant impact on your gut health and may indicate the likelihood of chronic liver disease, as per a recent study. More than two million people succumb to advanced chronic liver disease annually. Researchers examined bacterial populations in saliva and stool samples from 86 patients, discovering notable changes in both the gut and oral microbiomes with disease progression. In healthy individuals, bacterial communities vary across body sites, but in liver disease patients, similarities between oral and gut microbiomes increased as the disease advanced.
The study, published in Nature Microbiology, revealed that specific oral bacteria, typically absent in healthy guts, became more abundant in patients with advanced chronic liver disease. These bacteria were found to migrate from the mouth to the gut, colonizing the latter. Moreover, the presence of certain oral bacterial species in stool samples was linked to intestinal barrier damage. Gene analysis indicated that these bacteria carry collagen-degrading enzymes, which could compromise the gut barrier, potentially exacerbating the disease.
The research team’s findings suggest potential new therapeutic approaches for individuals with advanced chronic liver disease. Protecting or restoring the gut barrier might help slow disease progression, while targeting the oral microbiome could positively impact the disease’s course and prevent clinical complications, according to experts from King’s College London.
