Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Slows the Progression of HBV-Related Liver Diseases and Induces Virologic Response in Patients with HBV Infection

Abstract

Aims: Healthy gut microbiome plays a crucial role in the treatment of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection and chronic liver disease. Based on existing studies, we aimed to explore the difference in the efficacy of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) in patients with different stages of HBV-related chronic liver disease. Methods: In this study, 10 HBV patients with HBeAg-negative infection, 8 patients with Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) infection, and 8 patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis Child-Pugh score A, 9 patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis Child-Pugh score B/C were treated with FMT. Results: Our results demonstrated that continuous FMT treatment improved liver function, controlled the replication of HBV-DNA, enhanced the intestinal mucosal barrier function, relieve the degree of liver fibrosis and postponed the progression of HBV-related chronic liver disease. The result of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing indicated that the individual genus and composition of the bacteria in the feces of patients gradually approached the structure seen in case of the feces of healthy donors; the number of specific Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) in the stool samples of patients gradually decreased. Conclusion: Our study further confirmed that FMT could be a novel and effective treatment strategy for patients with chronic HBV infection.