The Gut Microbiome and Autoimmune Hepatitis: Implications for Early Diagnostic Biomarkers and Novel Therapies

Abstract

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a serious chronic liver disease that may last for decades and eventually develop into cirrhosis and liver failure. In recent years, people have paid more attention to the microbiome‐gut‐liver axis, which provides guidance for all to explore the role of microbiome in the occurrence and development of liver diseases. In this review, the possible mechanism of intestinal microbes promoting the occurrence of AIH, mainly expounding the key ways such as bacterial ecological imbalance, intestinal leakage, and molecular simulation between microbes and autoantigens is summarized. In addition, this paper also discusses that intestinal microbiome has great potential as a biomarker for early diagnosis of AIH, and intestinal microbiome is also a candidate target for prevention and treatment of AIH. Finally, the study summarizes and prospects the targeted therapy of intestinal microorganisms to prevent the occurrence and development of AIH.