Serum biomarkers for gut dysbiosis

Abstract

Until now, it is not easy for medical personnel in charge of primary care to adopt hydrogen/methane breath test or next-generation sequencing using feces, which are methods for clinically evaluating gut dysbiosis. Therefore, although not many studies have been conducted, this review discusses serum indicators that can easily suspect gut dysbiosis in primary care based on theoretically explainable mechanisms, and these indicators include serum total bilirubin, liver function level, vitamin B-12, fibrinogen, and ferritin. Total bilirubin rises as a defense mechanism against oxidative stress, liver function rises in relation to leaky gut, and vitamin B-12 increases as a metabolite produced by intestinal bacterial imbalance. Fibrinogen and ferritin are thought to rise due to microinflammation caused by an increase in endotoxin caused by gut dysbiosis. So far, few studies have been conducted on these relationships, so researchers with a functional medicine perspective should be more interested in treatment and research to reveal the relationship in the future.