The purpose of this study was to confirm the presence of specific gut microbiota observed in patients with sarcopenia among patients who agreed to analyze gut microbiota through stool among multi-center chronic liver disease cohort patients.

The effect of gut microbiota on liver disease is also well known and many studies are ongoing. A recently published study summarized the differences in the composition of gut microbiota in non-alcoholic fatty liver, steatohepatitis, and cirrhosis, and reported that metabolites from the changed gut microbiota may be a factor influencing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) progression. These changes in gut microbiota composition have been reported to affect clinical outcomes in patients by causing an increase in endotoxin, a change in bile acid metabolism, and a decrease in short chain fatty acid. In particular, the reduction of short chain fatty acid is known to be associated with the occurrence of sarcopenia. Sarcopenia, which is common in patients with cirrhosis, which is a representative chronic liver disease, is well known as a poor prognostic factor for patients. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the distribution of gut microbiota observed in patients with sarcopenia through the gut microbiota investigated in the chronic liver disease cohort patient group and the characteristics of the distribution of gut microbiota for each disease corresponding to chronic liver disease.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 1. Patients who have chronic liver disease (chronic liver disease cohort): alcohol liver disease, non-alcoholic liver disease, liver cirrhosis 2. Patients who consented to a study confirming the gut microbiota 3. Patients with abdominal computed tomography scan taken one month before or after submitting stool for gut microbiota analysis

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients whose height and weight records are missing from the chart review

From January 2017 to December 2019, 489 patients who agreed to collect feces among the cohort patients with chronic liver disease in five hospitals under the Hallym University Medical Center were surveyed.