Gut microbia dysbiosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents the spectrum of fatty liver that ranges from simple steatosis to steatohepatitis leading to fibrosis and cirrhosis. NAFLD is often considered the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome and it is closely associated with diabetes, insulin resistance and obesity. Prevalence of NAFLD ranges from 10–35% and the differences in prevalence are due to differences in diagnostic methods used to diagnose NAFLD, as well as differences in NAFLD prevalence amongst various ethnic groups. However, the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) to non-alcoholic steatohepatits (NASH) is seen in 3–5% of the population, and this subgroup is at a high risk of progression to advanced fibrosis including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (1,2).