The Impact of Liver Graft Preservation Method on Longitudinal Gut Microbiome Changes Following Liver Transplant (IMAGE)
Caption
The current study is the first in the world to increase our knowledge of how the liver graft preservation method impacts fecal microbiota in the perioperative period of liver transplant patients. A highlight of this study, comparing SCS and NMP, is the 12-month follow-up to characterize how the gut microbiome responds longitudinally and correlates with fecal and breath organic compounds. A limitation of this study is that it is proof-of-concept with small group sizes of non-randomized cohorts, which limits statistical power. Additionally, many confounding variables limit the generalizability of these findings, including the lack of detailed information on diet, comorbidities, medications, and the fact that the majority of the study participants were White. Moreover, we were unable to categorize donor or recipient characteristics in the analysis due to limited case numbers, resulting in heterogeneity in donor and recipient distribution. However, our observation that fecal microbiota was impacted by the liver preservation method is novel and can help the transplantation community understand the benefits of NMP, which is increasingly used worldwide. Future research in larger randomized cohorts is warranted to determine whether the NMP-induced shift in gut microbiota composition and function impacts clinical outcomes and if breath VOCs could serve as biomarkers for the clinical course in liver transplant patients.
Credit
Gail A.M. Cresci, Qiang Liu
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License
CC BY-NC