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World J Gastroenterol. Nov 14, 2014; 20(42): 15518-15531
Published online Nov 14, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i42.15518
Gut-liver axis and probiotics: Their role in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Giulia Paolella, Claudia Mandato, Luca Pierri, Marco Poeta, Martina Di Stasi, Pietro Vajro
Giulia Paolella, Luca Pierri, Marco Poeta, Martina Di Stasi, Pietro Vajro, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi (Salerno), Italy
Claudia Mandato, Pediatrics of AORN Santobono-Pausilipon, 80123 Naples, Italy
Pietro Vajro, ELFID European Laboratory for the Investigation of Food Induced Disease, 80138 Napoli, Italy
Author contributions: Paolella G and Mandato C contributed equally and prepared the first draft of the manuscript with Vajro P; Mandato C, Paolella G, Pierri L, Di Stasi M and Poeta M carried out the bibliographical search; Vajro P was the guarantor of the manuscript, as well as supervising and revising the manuscript; All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Supported by (in part) FARB-ex 60% 2012 of the University of Salerno grant to Vajro P
Correspondence to: Pietro Vajro, Professor, Chair of Pediatrics, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, via Allende, 84081 Baronissi (Salerno), Italy. pvajro@unisa.it
Telephone: +39-89-672409 Fax: +39-339-2361008
Received: December 28, 2013
Revised: April 29, 2014
Accepted: July 15, 2014
Published online: November 14, 2014
Processing time: 324 Days and 8.4 Hours
Core Tip

Core tip: Modulation of gut microbiota by probiotics is supported by a number of studies conducted with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease animal models and in several pilot pediatric and adult human studies. Globally, this approach appears to be a promising add-on therapeutic tool to be used in the context of a tailored multi-target therapy especially in cases where standard dietary and lifestyle changes have failed.