Gut Pathogens最新文献

{"title":"Effect of capsular polysaccharide phase variation on biofilm formation, motility and gene expression in Vibrio vulnificus.","authors":"Tingting Zhang, Shenjie Ji, Miaomiao Zhang, Fei Wu, Xue Li, Xi Luo, Qinglian Huang, Min Li, Yiquan Zhang, Renfei Lu","doi":"10.1186/s13099-024-00620-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13099-024-00620-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Vibrio vulnificus, a significant marine pathogen, undergoes opaque (Op)-translucent (Tr) colony switching based on whether capsular polysaccharide (CPS) is produced. CPS phase variation is sometime accompanied by genetic variation or down-regulation of particular genes, such as wzb. In addition, CPS prevents biofilm formation and is important to the virulence of V. vulnificus. However, the extent to which there is a difference in gene expression between Tr and Op colonies and the impact of CPS phase variation on other behaviors of V. vulnificus remain unknown. In this work, the data have shown that CPS phase variation of V. vulnificus is affected by incubation time. Tr and Op strains exhibited similar growth rates. However, Tr strains had enhanced biofilm formation capacities but reduced swimming motility compared to Op strains. The RNA-seq assay revealed 488 differentially expressed genes, with 214 downregulated and 274 upregulated genes, between Tr and Op colonies. Genes associated with Tad pili and CPS were downregulated, whereas those involved in flagellum were upregulated, in Tr colonies compared with Op colonies. In addition, 9 putative c-di-GMP metabolism-associated genes and 28 genes encoding putative regulators were significantly differentially expressed, suggesting that CPS phase variation is probably strictly regulated in V. vulnificus. Moreover, 8 genes encoding putative porins were also differentially expressed between the two phenotypic colonies, indicating that bacterial outer membrane was remodeled during CPS phase variation. In brief, this work highlighted the gene expression profiles associated with CPS phase variation, but more studies should be performed to disclose the intrinsic mechanisms in the future.</p>","PeriodicalId":12833,"journal":{"name":"Gut Pathogens","volume":"16 1","pages":"40"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11287873/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141792307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Desulfovibrio vulgaris caused gut inflammation and aggravated DSS-induced colitis in C57BL/6 mice model.","authors":"Guoxin Huang, Yilin Zheng, Ni Zhang, Guohai Huang, Weijin Zhang, Qingnan Li, Xuecong Ren","doi":"10.1186/s13099-024-00632-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13099-024-00632-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) is a potential pathogen usually detected in patients with gastrointestinal diseases. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a metabolic byproduct of SRB, was considered the main causative agent that disrupted the morphology and function of gut epithelial cells. Associated study also showed that flagellin from Desulfovibrio vulgaris (DVF), the representative bacterium of the Desulfovibrio genus, could exacerbate colitis due to the interaction of DVF and LRRC19, leading to the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. However, we still have limited understanding about the change of gut microbiota (GM) composition caused by overgrowth of SRB and its exacerbating effects on colitis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In this study, we transplanted D. vulgaris into the mice treated with or without DSS, and set a one-week recovery period to investigate the impact of D. vulgaris on the mice model. The outcomes showed that transplanted D. vulgaris into the normal mice could cause the gut inflammation, disrupt gut barrier and reduce the level of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Moreover, D. vulgaris also significantly augmented DSS-induced colitis by exacerbating the damage of gut barrier and the secretion of inflammatory cytokines, for instance, IL-1β, iNOS, and TNF-α. Furthermore, results also showed that D. vulgaris could markedly change GM composition, especially decrease the relative abundance of SCFAs-producing bacteria. Additionally, D. vulgaris significantly stimulated the growth of Akkermansia muciniphila probably via its metabolic byproduct, H2S, in vivo.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Collectively, this study indicated that transplantation of D. vulgaris could cause gut inflammation and aggravate the colitis induced by DSS.</p>","PeriodicalId":12833,"journal":{"name":"Gut Pathogens","volume":"16 1","pages":"39"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11282857/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141765838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Selective depletion of Campylobacter jejuni via T6SS dependent functionality: an approach for improving chickens gut health.","authors":"Subhadeep Gupta, Prakash Biswas, Bishnu Das, Samiran Mondal, Parna Gupta, Dipjyoti Das, Amirul Islam Mallick","doi":"10.1186/s13099-024-00628-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13099-024-00628-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The targeted depletion of potential gut pathogens is often challenging because of their intrinsic ability to thrive in harsh gut environments. Earlier, we showed that Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) exclusively uses the Type-VI Secretion System (T6SS) to target its prey such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), and phenotypic differences between T6SS-negative and T6SS-positive C. jejuni isolates toward bile salt sensitivity. However, it remains unclear how the target-driven T6SS functionality prevails in a polymicrobial gut environment. Here, we investigated the fate of microbial competition in an altered gut environment via bacterial T6SS using a T6SS-negative and -positive C. jejuni or its isogenic mutant of the hemolysin-coregulated protein (hcp). We showed that in the presence of bile salt and prey bacteria (E. coli), T6SS-positive C. jejuni experiences enhanced intracellular stress leading to cell death. Intracellular tracking of fluorophore-conjugated bile salts confirmed that T6SS-mediated bile salt influx into C. jejuni can enhance intracellular oxidative stress, affecting C. jejuni viability. We further investigated whether the T6SS activity in the presence of prey (E. coli) perturbs the in vivo colonization of C. jejuni. Using chickens as primary hosts of C. jejuni and non-pathogenic E. coli as prey, we showed a marked reduction of C. jejuni load in chickens cecum when bile salt solution was administered orally. Analysis of local antibody responses and pro-inflammatory gene expression showed a reduced risk of tissue damage, indicating that T6SS activity in the complex gut environment can be exploited as a possible measure to clear the persistent colonization of C. jejuni in chickens.</p>","PeriodicalId":12833,"journal":{"name":"Gut Pathogens","volume":"16 1","pages":"38"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11245787/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141599109","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Network analysis of gut microbial communities reveal key genera for a multiple sclerosis cohort with Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis infection.","authors":"Hajra Ashraf, Plamena Dikarlo, Aurora Masia, Ignazio R Zarbo, Paolo Solla, Umer Zeeshan Ijaz, Leonardo A Sechi","doi":"10.1186/s13099-024-00627-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13099-024-00627-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In gut ecosystems, there is a complex interplay of biotic and abiotic interactions that decide the overall fitness of an individual. Divulging the microbe-microbe and microbe-host interactions may lead to better strategies in disease management, as microbes rarely act in isolation. Network inference for microbial communities is often a challenging task limited by both analytical assumptions as well as experimental approaches. Even after the network topologies are obtained, identification of important nodes within the context of underlying disease aetiology remains a convoluted task. We therefore present a network perspective on complex interactions in gut microbial profiles of individuals who have multiple sclerosis with and without Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) infection. Our exposé is guided by recent advancements in network-wide statistical measures that identify the keystone nodes. We have utilised several centrality measures, including a recently published metric, Integrated View of Influence (IVI), that is robust against biases.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The ecological networks were generated on microbial abundance data (n = 69 samples) utilising 16 S rRNA amplification. Using SPIEC-EASI, a sparse inverse covariance estimation approach, we have obtained networks separately for MAP positive (+), MAP negative (-) and healthy controls (as a baseline). Using IVI metric, we identified top 20 keystone nodes and regressed them against covariates of interest using a generalised linear latent variable model. Our analyses suggest Eisenbergiella to be of pivotal importance in MS irrespective of MAP infection. For MAP + cohort, Pyarmidobacter, and Peptoclostridium were predominately the most influential genera, also hinting at an infection model similar to those observed in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBDs). In MAP- cohort, on the other hand, Coprostanoligenes group was the most influential genera that reduces cholesterol and supports the intestinal barrier.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The identification of keystone nodes, their co-occurrences, and associations with the exposome (meta data) advances our understanding of biological interactions through which MAP infection shapes the microbiome in MS individuals, suggesting the link to the inflammatory process of IBDs. The associations presented in this study may lead to development of improved diagnostics and effective vaccines for the management of the disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":12833,"journal":{"name":"Gut Pathogens","volume":"16 1","pages":"37"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11238521/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141579466","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The C-terminal proline-rich repeats of Enteropathogenic E. coli effector EspF are sufficient for the depletion of tight junction membrane proteins and interactions with early and recycling endosomes.","authors":"Imran Ansari, Anupam Mandal, Kritika Kansal, Pangertoshi Walling, Sumbul Khan, Saima Aijaz","doi":"10.1186/s13099-024-00626-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13099-024-00626-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) causes acute infantile diarrhea accounting for significant morbidity and mortality in developing countries. EPEC uses a type three secretion system to translocate more than twenty effectors into the host intestinal cells. At least four of these effectors, namely EspF, Map, EspG1/G2 and NleA, are reported to disrupt the intestinal tight junction barrier. We have reported earlier that the expression of EspF and Map in MDCK cells causes the depletion of the TJ membrane proteins and compromises the integrity of the intestinal barrier. In the present study, we have examined the role of the proline-rich repeats (PRRs) within the C-terminus of EspF in the depletion of the tight junction membrane proteins and identified key endocytosis markers that interact with EspF via these repeats.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We generated mutant EspF proteins which lacked one or more proline-rich repeats (PRRs) from the N-terminus of EspF and examined the effect of their expression on the cellular localization of tight junction membrane proteins. In lysates derived from cells expressing the mutant EspF proteins, we found that the C-terminal PRRs of EspF are sufficient to cause the depletion of TJ membrane proteins. Pull-down assays revealed that the PRRs mediate interactions with the TJ adaptor proteins ZO-1 and ZO-2 as well as with the proteins involved in endocytosis such as caveolin-1, Rab5A and Rab11.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our study demonstrates the direct role of the proline-rich repeats of EspF in the depletion of the TJ membrane proteins and a possible involvement of the PRRs in the endocytosis of host proteins. New therapeutic strategies can target these PRR domains to prevent intestinal barrier dysfunction in EPEC infections.</p>","PeriodicalId":12833,"journal":{"name":"Gut Pathogens","volume":"16 1","pages":"36"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11229284/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141554634","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Equol: a metabolite of gut microbiota with potential antitumor effects.","authors":"Jing Lv, Shengkai Jin, Yuwei Zhang, Yuhua Zhou, Menglu Li, Ninghan Feng","doi":"10.1186/s13099-024-00625-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13099-024-00625-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>An increasing number of studies have shown that the consumption of soybeans and soybeans products is beneficial to human health, and the biological activity of soy products may be attributed to the presence of Soy Isoflavones (SI) in soybeans. In the intestinal tracts of humans and animals, certain specific bacteria can metabolize soy isoflavones into equol. Equol has a similar chemical structure to endogenous estradiol in the human body, which can bind with estrogen receptors and exert weak estrogen effects. Therefore, equol plays an important role in the occurrence and development of a variety of hormone-dependent malignancies such as breast cancer and prostate cancer. Despite the numerous health benefits of equol for humans, only 30-50% of the population can metabolize soy isoflavones into equol, with individual variation in gut microbiota being the main reason. This article provides an overview of the relevant gut microbiota involved in the synthesis of equol and its anti-tumor effects in various types of cancer. It also summarizes the molecular mechanisms underlying its anti-tumor properties, aiming to provide a more reliable theoretical basis for the rational utilization of equol in the field of cancer treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":12833,"journal":{"name":"Gut Pathogens","volume":"16 1","pages":"35"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11229234/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141554632","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Power-law scaling in intratumoral microbiota of colorectal cancer.","authors":"Nikolas Dovrolis, Maria Gazouli, François Rigal, Robert J Whittaker, Thomas J Matthews, Konstantinos Georgiou, George Theodoropoulos, Kostas A Triantis","doi":"10.1186/s13099-024-00631-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13099-024-00631-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>It has recently been proposed that the study of microbial dynamics in humans may gain insights from island biogeographical theory. Here, we test whether the diversity of the intratumoral microbiota of colorectal cancer tumors (CRC) follows a power law with tumor size akin to the island species-area relationship. We confirm a direct correlation between the quantity of Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) within CRC tumors and tumor sizes, following a (log)power model, explaining 47% of the variation. Understanding the processes involved, potentially through the analogy of tumors and islands, may ultimately contribute to future clinical and therapeutic strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":12833,"journal":{"name":"Gut Pathogens","volume":"16 1","pages":"34"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11229225/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141554633","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gut microbiota shifts from onset to remission in immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced enterocolitis: a case report.","authors":"Yuki Hirata, Yoshiki Tanaka, Haruka Yokota, Hiroshi Ohno, Koji Nishida, Hikaru Shimizu, Noboru Mizuta, Kei Nakazawa, Ryoji Koshiba, Kazuki Kakimoto, Takako Miyazaki, Shiro Nakamura, Hiroki Nishikawa","doi":"10.1186/s13099-024-00630-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13099-024-00630-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are crucial in cancer treatment; however, they carry the risk of immune-related adverse events (irAEs), such as enteritis.</p><p><strong>Case presentation: </strong>This study investigated the role of the gut microbiota during the onset and remission of irAE enteritis in a patient with stage IV melanoma undergoing anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 therapy. Following commencement of ICI treatment, the patient developed severe diarrhea and was diagnosed with grade 3 irAE enteritis. Steroid and probiotic treatments provided swift symptom relief and remission, as confirmed by reduced fecal calprotectin levels and gastrointestinal imaging. Microbiota diversity analysis conducted via 16S rRNA gene sequencing identified a decrease in Streptococcus prevalence with improvement in enteritis symptoms. Conversely, genera Fusobacterium, Faecalibacterium, Bacteroides, Prevotella, and Bifidobacterium showed increased representation after remission. These genera are associated with anti-inflammatory properties and fibrous substrate degradation, aiding gut health. Immunological assessment demonstrated fluctuations in cytokine expression and the modulation of costimulatory molecules, aligning with therapeutic interventions and microbiota alterations.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings indicate a significant correlation between gut microbiota and immune responses in irAE enteritis. This underscores the potential utility of microbiome profiling in predicting irAE occurrence and in providing treatment strategies, thereby promoting a more comprehensive approach to managing the adverse effects of ICIs.</p>","PeriodicalId":12833,"journal":{"name":"Gut Pathogens","volume":"16 1","pages":"33"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11225377/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141534310","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clostridium perfringens in central Colombia: frequency, toxin genes, and risk factors.","authors":"Anny Camargo, Laura Bohorquez, Diana Paola López, Atilio Ferrebuz-Cardozo, José Castellanos-Rozo, Javier Díaz-Ovalle, Mariana Rada, Milena Camargo, Juan David Ramírez, Marina Muñoz","doi":"10.1186/s13099-024-00629-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13099-024-00629-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Clostridium perfringens is an opportunistic bacterium that causes intestinal diseases in both humans and animals. This study aimed to assess the frequency of C. perfringens and the presence of toxin-encoding genes in fecal samples from individuals with or without gastrointestinal symptoms in the Department of Boyacá, Colombia. Additionally, risk factors associated with carriage and disease development were analyzed. A total of 114 stool samples were analyzed using a molecular test based on specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting 16S-rRNA and alpha toxin (cpa) genes. For individuals with a positive result for the PCR test, stool samples were cultured on Tryptose Sulfite Cycloserine (TSC) agar. Two to five colonies forming units were selected based on phenotypic characteristics, resulting in 56 bacterial isolates. These isolates were then analyzed for toxin-coding genes associated with gastrointestinal diseases. In addition, sociodemographic and clinical data from 77 individuals were also analyzed. The overall frequency of C. perfringens was 19.3% (n = 22/114). The detection frequency in 77 individuals with clinical data was 16.6% (n = 5/30) among symptomatic individuals and 21.2% (n = 10/47) among asymptomatic individuals. All 56 isolates obtained carried the cpa gene, while cpb2 was present in 10.7% (n = 6/56); cpe and cpb genes were not detected. Notably, diabetes and autoimmune diseases are significantly associated with an increased risk of C. perfringens detection (adjusted OR 8.41: 95% CI 1.32-35.89). This study highlights an elevated frequency of C. perfringens and the presence of the cpb2 gene in asymptomatic individuals compared with their symptomatic counterparts. These findings offer insights into the distribution and virulence factors of C. perfringens at a micro-geographical level. This information supports the need for developing tailored prevention strategies based on local characteristics to promote active surveillance programs based on molecular epidemiology.</p>","PeriodicalId":12833,"journal":{"name":"Gut Pathogens","volume":"16 1","pages":"32"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11225238/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141534309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An examination of global research trends for exploring the associations between the gut microbiota and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease through bibliometric and visualization analysis.","authors":"Sa'ed H Zyoud, Samer O Alalalmeh, Omar E Hegazi, Muna Shakhshir, Faris Abushamma, Samah W Al-Jabi","doi":"10.1186/s13099-024-00624-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13099-024-00624-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasingly recognized as a significant health issue. Emerging research has focused on the role of the gut microbiota in NAFLD, emphasizing the gut-liver axis. This study aimed to identify key research trends and guide future investigations in this evolving area.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This bibliometric study utilized Scopus to analyze global research on the link between the gut microbiota and NAFLD. The method involved a search strategy focusing on relevant keywords in article titles, refined by including only peer-reviewed journal articles. The data analysis included bibliometric indicators such as publication counts and trends, which were visualized using VOSviewer software version 1.6.20 for network and co-occurrence analysis, highlighting key research clusters and emerging topics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among the 479 publications on the gut microbiota and NAFLD, the majority were original articles (n = 338; 70.56%), followed by reviews (n = 119; 24.84%). The annual publication count increased from 1 in 2010 to 118 in 2022, with a significant growth phase starting in 2017 (R² = 0.9025, p < 0.001). The research was globally distributed and dominated by China (n = 231; 48.23%) and the United States (n = 90; 18.79%). The University of California, San Diego, led institutional contributions (n = 18; 3.76%). Funding was prominent, with 62.8% of the articles supported, especially by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (n = 118; 24.63%). The average citation count was 43.23, with an h-index of 70 and a citation range of 0 to 1058 per article. Research hotspots shifted their focus post-2020 toward the impact of high-fat diets on NAFLD incidence.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study has effectively mapped the growing body of research on the gut microbiota-NAFLD relationship, revealing a significant increase in publications since 2017. There is significant interest in gut microbiota and NAFLD research, mainly led by China and the United States, with diverse areas of focus. Recently, the field has moved toward exploring the interconnections among diet, lifestyle, and the gut-liver axis. We hypothesize that with advanced technologies, new opportunities for personalized medicine and a holistic understanding of NAFLD will emerge.</p>","PeriodicalId":12833,"journal":{"name":"Gut Pathogens","volume":"16 1","pages":"31"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11223324/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141497912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}