View clinical trials related to Alcoholic Liver Disease.
Filter by:The fecal mycobiome, which refers to the community of fungi that resides in the human gut, is an important component of the gut microbiome. Research has shown that changes in the gut microbiome, including alterations in the fecal mycobiome, may play a role in the development and progression of alcoholic liver disease (ALD).One study published in the journal Gut Microbes found that individuals with ALD had a different gut microbiome composition compared to healthy individuals, including alterations in the levels of certain fungal species. Specifically, the study found that there was an increase in the abundance of the fungal genus Saccharomyces in individuals with ALD. This is significant because Saccharomyces is known to produce ethanol, which can contribute to liver damage in individuals with ALD.Another study published in the journal PLOS One found that there were differences in the levels of fungal metabolites in the fecal samples of individuals with ALD compared to healthy individuals. Specifically, the study found that there were higher levels of certain fungal metabolites, including acetaldehyde and ethanol, in the fecal samples of individuals with ALD.These findings suggest that the fecal mycobiome may play an important role in the development and progression of ALD. Maintaining a healthy gut microbiome through a balanced diet and other lifestyle factors may be an important strategy for preventing and managing ALD, and further research into the role of the fecal mycobiome in this condition is warranted.
Investigators wishes to influence the gut microbiota in patients with alcoholic liver disease in a randomized controlled clinical trial. The investigators hypothesize that the alcohol-related dysbiosis seen in these patients can be changed and disease progression haltered by modulating microbiota with probiotics during 24 weeks.
The current goal in the treatment of Alcoholic Liver Disease (ALD) is to manage ALD-associated complications as there are no disease-specific therapies. Identifying disease-specific therapies to slow ALD progression is critical to improving the outcomes in these patients. Despite preclinical treatment studies in animal models that have shown promise, clinical trials in ALD patients have been limited by the absence of sensitive, quantitative methods for identifying severity and monitoring progression of liver disease. The rates of progression of liver disease in ALD are variable and difficult to predict, which makes assessments of therapies difficult. Clinical measures of hepatic or biliary disease (e.g., bilirubin, transaminases) may be normal, only mildly elevated and/or stable despite ongoing organ damage. Liver biopsies are diagnostic, but are invasive and are of limited value for longitudinal monitoring. Currently clinical imaging, including standard volumetric imaging (MRI and ultrasonography) and hepatic fibrosis assessment (e.g. Fibroscan) are also of limited utility in fully staging disease severity and monitoring progression in ALD. The absence of clinically available methods for accurately determining the severity and progression of liver disease progression in ALD has limited implementation of clinical trials using novel therapeutic agents. Development of non-invasive imaging biomarkers to assess rates of liver progression will overcome this barrier and allow for such studies to be undertaken. This study intends to perform a one-time MRI on patients with ALD to search for these biomarkers that can improve the diagnosis and treatment of ALD patients.