{
  "abstract": "Background Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasingly common in clinical practice, particularly among patients with metabolic risk factors. Recent research suggests that the gut–liver axis plays a key role in disease progression, with alterations in gut microbial composition potentially influencing liver inflammation and fibrosis. This study aimed to explore how gut microbiome patterns relate to NAFLD severity in a clinical setting.Methods We conducted an observational study over six months, including 120 adult patients with ultrasound-confirmed NAFLD. Disease severity was categorized as mild, moderate, or severe using standard radiological grading. Stool samples were collected from all participants to analyse microbial diversity and the relative abundance of key bacterial taxa, using DNA-based sequencing techniques. Clinical parameters, including liver function tests (LFTs), were recorded for all patients. Associations between gut microbiome features and disease severity were examined.Results Patients with moderate to severe NAFLD consistently showed reduced microbial diversity compared with those with mild disease. Additionally, a relative increase in pro-inflammatory bacterial taxa and a decrease in beneficial commensal organisms were observed in more advanced cases. These patterns correlated with worsening ultrasound grades and deranged LFTs, suggesting a meaningful association between gut dysbiosis and disease severity.Conclusions Our findings indicate that gut microbiome patterns reflect the severity of NAFLD, supporting the role of the gut–liver axis in disease progression. While causality cannot be established, these associations highlight the potential for microbiome-informed diagnostics and the future development of targeted interventions. Further larger-scale studies are warranted to validate these observations and explore their clinical applications.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "MOTH, Pakistan"
      ],
      "name": "Usman Ghani"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "MOTH, Pakistan"
      ],
      "name": "Abrar Hussain Azad"
    }
  ],
  "title": "IDDF2026-ABS-0438 Gut microbiome signatures as an indicator of disease severity in NAFLD",
  "uid": "cefbaa34-91ab-51ad-a443-f67301f1faed"
}