Introduction
hepatic inflammation, decompensated cirrhosis, fibrosis, liver cirrhosis
DECOMPENSATED CIRRHOSIS, TRANSLOCATION, LIVER FIBROSIS, FIBROSIS, LIVER CIRRHOSIS, ALCOHOL-RELATED LIVER DISEASE, COMPLICATIONS
Alcohol is one of the leading causes of liver cirrhosis and the dominant cause of liver-related mortality worldwide.The gut–liver axis is considered central for the progression of alcohol-related liver disease. Translocation of bacterial products from the gut to the liver via the portal vein might induce hepatic inflammation, and thereby fuel liver fibrogenesis and progression of fibrosis.Antibiotics are widely used in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. They reduce complications by preventing bacterial translocation from the gut to the circulation by modulating the gut microbiome.We therefore aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of 18 months of treatment with rifaximin-α on liver fibrosis in patients with biopsy-confirmed alcohol-related liver disease.