Characteristics of fecal microbial communities in patients with non-anastomotic biliary strictures after liver transplantation

AIM: To explore the possible relationship between fecal microbial communities and non-anastomotic stricture (NAS) after liver transplantation (LT). METHODS: A total of 30 subjects including 10 patients with NAS, 10 patients with no complications after LT, and 10 non-LT healthy individuals were enrolled. Fecal microbial communities were assessed by the 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology. RESULTS: Different from the uncomplicated and healthy groups, unbalanced fecal bacterium ratio existed in patients with NAS after LT. The results showed that NAS patients were associated with a decrease of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes and an increase of Proteobacteria at the phylum level, with the proportion-ratio imbalance between potential pathogenic families including Enterococcaceae, Streptococcaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae and dominant families including Bacteroidaceae. CONCLUSION: The compositional shifts of the increase of potential pathogenic bacteria as well as the decrease of dominant bacteria might contribute to the incidence of NAS.