Coffee and Microbiota: A Narrative Review.

Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, which has important repercussions on the health of the individual, mainly because of certain compounds it contains. Coffee consumption exerts significant influences on the entire body, including the gastrointestinal tract, where a central role is played by the gut microbiota. Dysbiosis in the gut microbiota is implicated in the occurrence of numerous diseases, and knowledge of the microbiota has proven to be of fundamental importance for the development of new therapeutic strategies. In this narrative review, we thoroughly investigated the link between coffee consumption and its effects on the gut microbiota and the ensuing consequences on human health. We have selected the most significant articles published on this very interesting link, with the aim of elucidating the latest evidence about the relationship between coffee consumption, its repercussions on the composition of the gut microbiota, and human health. Based on the various studies carried out in both humans and animal models, it has emerged that coffee consumption is associated with changes in the gut microbiota, although further research is needed to understand more about this link and the repercussions for the whole organism.

Prothrombin time predicts steroid response in severe alcohol-related hepatitis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Alcohol-related hepatitis (AH) is the most severe form of acute alcohol-related liver disease. Maddrey's discriminant function ≥32 defines the severe form of AH, which is associated with a high mortality. Steroid therapy represents the main medical treatment that may reduce short-term mortality. Lille score at day 7 assesses the therapeutic response to steroid therapy. At present, no parameters able to predict the response to steroid therapy have been highlighted. The aim of the present study was to evaluate if baseline prothrombin time (BPT) could predict the response to steroid in severe AH (sAH). METHODS: Patients consecutively admitted in two Italian Liver Units, from 2017 to 2022, suffering from sAH were included. Data were collected prospectively. In order to evaluate if BPT could predict steroid response, we assessed the correlation between BPT using the Lille score at day 7. RESULTS: A total of 52 patients received steroid treatment were enrolled in the study. The response to therapy was assessed by Lille score at day 7. Responders were 34 patients (65%), non-responders 18 patients (34%). BPT significantly predicted the steroid response (p < .001). The likelihood of not responding to the steroid therapy was significantly higher in patients with higher BPT (OR = 2.954). CONCLUSIONS: BPT value predicted steroid response in patients with sAH. BPT could quickly identify non-responder patients to steroid therapy, reducing the risk of infections and it could allow the early evaluation for liver transplantation.

Gut Microbiota, LADA, and Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: An Evolving Relationship.

There is much evidence confirming the crucial role played by the gut microbiota in modulating the immune system in the onset of autoimmune diseases. In this article, we focus on the relationship between alterations in the microbiome and the onset of diabetes mellitus type 1 and LADA, in light of the latest evidence. We will then look at both how the role of the gut microbiota appears to be increasingly crucial in the pathogenesis of these disorders and how this aspect may be instrumental in the development of new potential therapeutic strategies that modulate the gut microbiota, such as probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation.