Driving role and related targeted therapeutic strategies of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in liver cirrhosis
- VernacularTitle:小肠细菌过度生长在肝硬化中的驱动作用及相关靶向治疗策略
- Author:
Xianping LI
1
;
Yingmei TANG
1
Author Information
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords: Liver Cirrhosis; Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth; Gut-Liver Axis; Therapeutics
- From: Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(6):1433-1438
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
- Abstract: Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth （SIBO） is significantly more prevalent in patients with liver cirrhosis. Recent studies indicate that SIBO is not merely a concomitant phenomenon but a key driver of cirrhosis progression via the “gut-liver axis” mechanism. This review innovatively proposes a “microbiota-immunity-fibrosis” pathological positive feedback loop model， systematically elucidating the sequential pathological process through which SIBO drives disease progression via multiple mechanisms—including disruption of intestinal barrier function， facilitation of bacterial and endotoxin translocation， induction of systemic inflammatory responses， and acceleration of hepatic fibrosis. Furthermore， it provides a systematic evaluation of the clinical application value and limitations of current SIBO-targeted therapeutic strategies， such as antibiotic therapy， microbial modulation， herbal medicine interventions， and dietary therapies. This work aims to establish a theoretical foundation and identify future research directions for the development of multi-targeted and personalized comprehensive treatment strategies.
