New Delhi, Jan 16 (NationPress) Recent research indicates that bacteria in your mouth can play a crucial role in influencing your gut health and may also serve as a predictor for the risk of chronic liver disease. Each year, over two million individuals fall victim to advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD).

The study, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, involved an analysis of bacterial populations in saliva and stool samples from 86 patients.

Researchers from the Technical University of Munich in Germany discovered that both the oral and gut microbiomes experience significant alterations as liver disease progresses; changes in the oral microbiome were detectable even in earlier stages of the disease.

In individuals without health issues, bacterial communities vary greatly between different body sites. However, patients suffering from liver disease exhibited increasingly similar oral and gut microbiomes as their condition advanced, with nearly identical bacterial strains found in both the mouth and gut.

According to Melanie Schirmer, Professor of Translational Microbiome Data Integration at TUM, "These strains are generally found in the mouth and are seldom present in a healthy gut. Yet, we noted a rise in the absolute abundances of these oral bacteria in patients with advanced chronic liver disease." She emphasized that this suggests a translocation of these bacteria from the mouth to the gut.

The research team also identified multiple oral bacterial species that had colonized the guts of the patients. They found that increased levels of these bacteria in stool samples correlated with damage to the intestinal barrier.

Gene analysis revealed that these bacteria possess genes that encode collagen-degrading enzymes. The team validated these enzymes' activity by examining isolated bacteria from stool samples and synthesizing the enzyme.

As Aurelie Cenier, a doctoral researcher and co-first author, states, "Collagen breakdown can compromise the gut barrier, potentially allowing bacteria and their products to reach other organs, including the liver. We believe this may exacerbate the disease."

Dr. Vishal Patel from King's College London added, "Our findings pave the way for potential new therapeutic strategies for individuals with advanced chronic liver disease. Safeguarding or restoring the gut barrier could help slow disease progression, while targeting the oral microbiome might offer a means to positively influence the disease's trajectory and prevent clinical complications."