Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth in Patients With Severe Alcoholic Hepatitis: Frequency and Predictors
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a gut microbiota-related disorder characterized by excessive bacterial density and/or abnormal microbiota composition in the small intestine. We aimed to evaluate the frequency of SIBO in patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis (SAH) and to identify independent predictors. METHODS: We included 60 consecutive patients with SAH and 30 healthy controls (HC). After an overnight fast, SIBO was evaluated using the glucose hydrogen breath test (GHBT) with 100 g of glucose. A sustained increase in breath hydrogen or methane levels > 12 parts per million (ppm) above the basal level was considered diagnostic for SIBO. RESULTS: SIBO was more frequent in patients with SAH than HC (15/60 (25.0%) vs. 1/30 (3.3%), p = 0.017). In the univariate analysis, globulin levels, total protein levels, and predominant methane producer status significantly differed between patients with and without SIBO. In the multivariate analysis, the predominant methane producer status increased the risk of SIBO by 17.44 times (adjusted odds ratio: 17.44 (95% CI (1.9-154.04)), p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that SIBO is a more common finding in patients with SAH than in HC. The predominant methane producer status independently predicted the SIBO in these patients.
Source: Cureus
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.85516
Authors: Venkatesh Vaithiyam, Sanjeev Sachdeva, Payila Aneesh, Ravi Teja Reddy, Rahul Chittem, Aarushi Ahuja, Kartik Mehta, Ashok Dalal, Ajay Kumar
Language: English
Topic: Gut microbiota and health
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4411115200