Alcoholic Liver Disease and the Gut Microbiome

Summary

Background: Significant sex differences exist in regard to alcohol use disorder (AUD) and alcoholic liver disease (ALD). To date, no studies have examined the brain-gut-microbiome (BGM) axis (which is the relationship between the gut, brain, and the bacteria within the gut) and sex-differences in AUD and ALD. Aims: 1) Demonstrate baseline sex differences in the microbiome and metatranscriptome of AUD and ALD and correlate those differences to severity, 2) determine if these baseline sex differences predicts abstinence or ALD related outcomes, and 3) show how altering the microbiome can decrease the severity of AUD and ALD in a sexdependent manner. Hypothesis: Our project is aimed to explore the hypothesis that sex-related differences of the BGM axis in AUD and ALD explains the variation in patient severity and outcome by sex, and that alterations of the BGM axis can decrease the severity of AUD and ALD in a sex-dependent manner. Methods: A pilot randomized placebo (VSL#3 vs placebo) control trial will be performed in patients with AUD and ALD for 6 months. Questionnaire data, clinical labs, serum, and feces for shotgun metagenomics will be collected at baseline, 3-months, and 6-months. Anticipated Results: Patients with severe AUD/ALD will have more microbes and microbial genes associated with inflammation. These differences will predict outcomes at 6-months and that changes of this baseline microbiome with VSL#3 will lead to more positive outcomes than placebo, with men having greater benefit from VSL#3 than women. Implications and Future Studies: The discovery of the mechanisms underlying sex-related differences in AUD/ALD is needed for the development of personalized recommendations for prevention and treatment in men and women

Timeline

Start

2022-01-31

Primary completion

2025-06-30

Completion

2025-09-01

Publications

• Background Kelly JF. E. M. Jellinek's Disease Concept of Alcoholism. Addiction. 2019 Mar;114(3):555-559. doi: 10.1111/add.14400. Epub 2018 Sep 2. No abstract available.
• Background Grant BF, Chou SP, Saha TD, Pickering RP, Kerridge BT, Ruan WJ, Huang B, Jung J, Zhang H, Fan A, Hasin DS. Prevalence of 12-Month Alcohol Use, High-Risk Drinking, and DSM-IV Alcohol Use Disorder in the United States, 2001-2002 to 2012-2013: Results From the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. JAMA Psychiatry. 2017 Sep 1;74(9):911-923. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.2161.
• Background Erol A, Karpyak VM. Sex and gender-related differences in alcohol use and its consequences: Contemporary knowledge and future research considerations. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2015 Nov 1;156:1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.08.023. Epub 2015 Sep 5.
• Background Rodriguez-Gonzalez A, Orio L. Microbiota and Alcohol Use Disorder: Are Psychobiotics a Novel Therapeutic Strategy? Curr Pharm Des. 2020;26(20):2426-2437. doi: 10.2174/1381612826666200122153541.
• Background Bajaj JS, Gavis EA, Fagan A, Wade JB, Thacker LR, Fuchs M, Patel S, Davis B, Meador J, Puri P, Sikaroodi M, Gillevet PM. A Randomized Clinical Trial of Fecal Microbiota Transplant for Alcohol Use Disorder. Hepatology. 2021 May;73(5):1688-1700. doi: 10.1002/hep.31496. Epub 2021 Mar 16.
• Background Leclercq S, de Timary P, Delzenne NM, Starkel P. The link between inflammation, bugs, the intestine and the brain in alcohol dependence. Transl Psychiatry. 2017 Feb 28;7(2):e1048. doi: 10.1038/tp.2017.15.

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