It is known that the composition of the intestinal microbiota (IM) is associated with the pathogenesis of viral hepatitis. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an RNA virus that affects about 50 million people worldwide. HCV infection is considered a major risk factor for developing liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The liver is closely related to bacterial components derived from the bacteria of the IM through the gut–liver axis, influencing host susceptibility to certain diseases, such as the development of hepatopathy associated with HCV infection. This review specifically evaluates the association of HCV infection with the bacterial IM, focusing on key aspects, such as the evolving intestinal dysbiosis during the natural history of the infection and the effect of treatment (antibiotics, direct-acting antivirals, pre/probiotics, and diet) in the management of these patients, in the different stages of the disease, up to HCC.
León et al. (Wed,) studied this question.