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.