Altered microbiome linked to liver disease in adolescents with cystic fibrosis

A professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine at the Anschutz Medical Campus and his colleagues have found a possible cause of liver disease in adolescents with cystic fibrosis.

In a research article published in the journal PLOS One, Michael Narkewicz, MD, professor of pediatrics, and his co-authors studied adolescents with cystic fibrosis and cirrhosis and compared them to adolescents with cystic fibrosis and no .

They found that those with liver disease had a different microbiome (gut bacteria), slower small bowel motility and more signs of small bowel inflammation compared to those without liver disease. This suggests that there is an interaction between the in cystic fibrosis and the liver that may lead to liver disease. The finding is important because it points to potential targets for therapy by suggesting specific reasons that some adolescents with cystic fibrosis develop advanced liver disease.

Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening genetic disease that primarily affects the lungs and digestive system. An estimated 30,000 children and adults in the United States have cystic fibrosis. Cirrhosis occurs in 5 percent to 7 percent of cystic fibrosis patients. Cirrhosis is a slowly progressing disease in which healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue, eventually preventing the liver from functioning properly.

"While some intestinal symptoms are common in all ," Narkewicz said, "we found there are some who have disturbances in intestinal function combined with changes in the that may contribute to liver disease. We hope this finding will point toward a better understanding of why only 5 to 7 percent of patients develop severe liver disease and will suggest potential therapies to help those patients."

Journal information: PLoS ONE
Citation: Altered microbiome linked to liver disease in adolescents with cystic fibrosis (2015, February 18) retrieved 29 March 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-02-microbiome-linked-liver-disease-adolescents.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

Mucus retained in cystic fibrosis patients' cells leads to potentially deadly infections

46 shares

Feedback to editors