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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microorganisms in Vertebrate Digestive Systems
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1510507
This article is part of the Research Topic New Progress on the Role of Gut Microbiota in the Incidence and Prevention of Liver Diseases View all 3 articles

Different fungal signatures in ALD and MAFLD

Provisionally accepted
Daya Zhang Daya Zhang 1Qi Wang Qi Wang 1Da Li Da Li 1Chen Chen Chen Chen 1Yanting Lv Yanting Lv 1Shimei Huang Shimei Huang 1Fan Zeng Fan Zeng 1Xianfeng Huang Xianfeng Huang 1Fengjiao Mao Fengjiao Mao 1Feihu Bai Feihu Bai 2*
  • 1 Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan Province, China
  • 2 Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Objective: This study investigates the differential impact of fecal fungal microbiota on the pathogenesis of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) and metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). We aim to delineate distinct microbial patterns across various stages of each disease.We conducted fungal internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) sequencing analysis on fecal samples from 48 ALD patients, 55 MAFLD patients, and 64 healthy controls (HCs). Results: Distinct fungal microbiota profiles were significantly identified between the ALD and MAFLD patients. In the ALD group, genera such as Trichosporon, Davidiella and Asterotremella along with species like Trichosporon unclassified and Davidiella unclassified were elevated compared to those in the MAFLD group. Conversely, Fungi unclassified, Rhizopus, Periconia, and Candida albicans were more prevalent in MAFLD patients. A specific fungal signature comprising Asterotremella_pseudolonga, Malassezia_restricta and Malassezia, was notably effective in differentiating ALD from MAFLD, achieving an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.94. Periconia and Periconia byssoides were more abundant in non-obese MAFLD patients compared to obese MAFLD and HCs. Rhizopus microsporus var. chinensis and var. rhizopodiformis, along with Pleosporales unclassified, were predominantly found in MAFLD patients with moderate to severe hepatic steatosis (HS). The genera Pleosporales_unclassified and the species Candida_albicans were 3 markedly elevated in ALC patients when contrasted with AFL or HCs.This investigation introduces a novel fungal signature that successfully differentiates between ALD and MAFLD, underscoring Pleosporales unclassified, as biomarkers for disease progression in ALD and MAFLD. The findings also suggest a significant role for Periconia in the progression of non-obese MAFLD.

    Keywords: ALD, MAFLD, Fecal samples, Mycobiome, microbiome, Fungi

    Received: 15 Oct 2024; Accepted: 18 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Zhang, Wang, Li, Chen, Lv, Huang, Zeng, Huang, Mao and Bai. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Feihu Bai, Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China

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