Impact of Direct-acting Antiviral Drugs on The Patterns of Gut Microbiota in Patients With HCV Related Chronic Liver Diseases

The recent introduction of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy has dramatically changed the rates of cure of HCV infection even in difficult to treat subjects and in those with severe comorbidities . A growing number of studies have also demonstrated an improvement in liver stiffness, which is a surrogate marker of liver fibrosis, after HCV eradication. This may have a beneficial impact on the gut liver axis in these patients and may further contribute to slowing down the progression of the disease, potentially influencing the future occurrence of complications. The gut microbiota alpha diversity in cirrhotic patients, which was lower than that in healthy subjects, was significantly improved by the cure of HCV infection and a shift in the overall gut microbiota composition was observed compared to baseline. The abundance of potentially pathogenic bacteria (Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus, and Staphylococcus) was decreased after treatment. Aim of study: 1-To determine the changes in gut microbiota in patients with HCV infections with / without liver cirrhosis.