Phenotyping non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease by the gut microbiota: Ready for prime time?

Analysis of gut microbiota in 90 patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) revealed that majority of previously reported alterations could not be reproduced.

• Increased levels of Lactobacillaceae and Veillonellaceae, along with decreased levels of Bacteroidetes and Ruminococcaceae, were observed in some studies.
• These changes in gut microbiota composition were also found in the NAFLD patient cohort, but many previously reported differences were not confirmed.
• Out of 13 studies compared, only a few alterations were consistently reported across different cohorts.
• The findings suggest that a consistent disease-specific gut microbiota signature for NAFLD has not been established.
• Further studies with standardized methods and similar patient demographics are needed to better understand the gut microbiota's role in NAFLD.

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