Characterization of Gut Microbiomes in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) Patients: A Connection Between Endogenous Alcohol and NASH

The increased abundance of alcohol-producing bacteria in NASH microbiomes, elevated blood-ethanol concentration in NASH patients, and the well-established role of alcohol metabolism in oxidative stress and, consequently, liver inflammation suggest a role for alcohol-producing microbiota in the pathogenesis of NASH. We postulate that the distinct composition of the gut microbiome among NASH, obese, and healthy controls could offer a target for intervention or a marker for disease.