Background. The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is currently increasing worldwide and is a serious problem that causes interest in its study, especially in patients with an immune response to severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In recent years, studies have been investigating the influence of microflora on the development and progression of NAFLD. The purpose of the study was to determine the level of dysbiotic disorders of the colonic microbiocenosis in patients with NAFLD with an immune response to SARS-CoV-2. Materials and methods. We examined 34 patients with NAFLD who were found to have IgG to SARS-CoV-2. All examined patients were divided into two groups: group I consisted of 17 patients with no history of SARS-CoV-2 according to the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) data; group II — 17 patients with a history of SARS-CoV-2 by PCR. The control group consisted of 10 practically healthy individuals. Chromatographic determination of the content of short-chain fatty acids, species and quantitative composition of the colonic microflora was performed. Results. The microbiological studies revealed changes in the qualitative and quantitative composition of the colonic microflora in 88.2 % of patients with NAFLD, with a predominance of dysbiosis II in 41.2 % of patients in group I and dysbiosis I in 70.6 % of patients in group II. These changes were due to a decrease in the number of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, an increase in the concentration of opportunistic pathogens, fungi of the genus Candida spp. The intestinal microbiome of patients with NAFLD who had SARS-CoV-2 showed impaired biosynthesis of short-chain fatty acids in the coprofiltrate, which was manifested by an increase in the median acetic and propionic acids and a decrease in the median butyric acid in patients of group I. The median anaerobic index had a statistically significant decrease in patients of group I by 1.5 times (p < 0.05) and a tendency to a decrease in patients of group II. Significant intergroup differences were found for anaerobic index, its median was 1.4 times higher in group II (p < 0.05) compared with group I. Conclusions. A decrease in the level of normoflora representatives, an increase in opportunistic pathogens, a tendency to a decrease in the concentration of butyric acid, an increase in acetic and propionic acids in the feces were found in patients with NAFLD who had SARS-CoV-2.
