Alterations in Oro-cecal Transit Time and Small Intestinal Microbiota in Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy with Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth.
Lichao Cao, Yushan Meng, Yining Huang, Hong Ye, Cuiyan Han, Xilong Liu, Yujiao Wu, Yu Song, Ziqing Wang, Yuchen Cong, Lei Wang, Wenjing Wang, Yanting Wang, Kun Zhao, Hongyun Wei, Keyu Ren, Qingdong Mao, Mingjuan Cui, Jia Wang, Bin Cao
Clinical and translational gastroenterology
41769905
March 2, 2026
Quality Indicators
Abstract Only: Full text of this study is not publicly available. This summary is based on the abstract only and may be less detailed than usual.
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Study Summary
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Quick Summary
This study examined 110 cirrhosis patients to see how oral-cecal transit time (OCTT, the time it takes food to travel from mouth to the beginning of the large intestine) relates to small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE, a mild form of brain dysfunction caused by liver disease). Researchers found that patients with both MHE and SIBO had significantly slower gut motility and different patterns of bacteria in their small intestine compared to other cirrhosis patients.
What Was Studied
Researchers investigated whether cirrhosis patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy and SIBO have altered oral-cecal transit time and different small intestinal bacterial populations. The study enrolled 110 cirrhosis patients admitted to a hospital in China between December 2021 and December 2023, dividing them into three groups based on presence of SIBO and MHE.
How the Study Was Conducted
The study was conducted at The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University's Department of Gastroenterology. Researchers used the lactulose hydrogen breath test to diagnose SIBO and measure oral-cecal transit time in all 110 patients. They also collected small intestinal tissue samples from 26 cirrhosis patients and 5 healthy controls to analyze bacterial composition. Full methodology not publicly available — summary based on abstract only.
Key Findings
- Among the 110 cirrhosis patients, 53.6% (59 patients) had minimal hepatic encephalopathy, and among those with MHE, 71.19% (42 patients) also had SIBO
- Patients with both SIBO and MHE had significantly slower oral-cecal transit time compared to both non-MHE patients and MHE patients without SIBO
- The small intestinal bacterial composition was significantly different in SIBO-MHE patients, with those having prolonged transit time showing higher levels of Bacteroides, Streptococcus, Bacillus, Lactobacillus, Alphaproteobacteria, and Prevotella
- The most common bacterial groups found across all patients were Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes at the phylum level, and Rothia, Streptococcus, Escherichia, Actinomyces, Prevotella, and Pseudomonas at the genus level
Important Limitations
- Small sample size for the microbiota analysis (only 26 cirrhosis patients and 5 healthy controls had tissue samples collected), which may limit the generalizability of the bacterial composition findings
- Single-center study conducted at one hospital in China, which may not represent cirrhosis patients in other geographic regions or healthcare settings
- Full text not publicly available — summary based on abstract only
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