The role of intestinal microbiota,bile acids,and Th17/IL17 axis in hepatitis B virus-related liver fibrosis

Hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection,which affects 90 million people in China,remains a prominent cause of liver cancer and liver cirrhosis.[1]Chronic HBV infection has a complicated course,which is a dynamic process formed by the interaction between the virus and the immune system.[2,3]Hepatic fibrosis is the basis of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.[4]In recent years,accumulating studies have indicated potential roles of intestinal microbiota,bile acids,and T helper(Th)17/interleukin(IL)-17 axis in the process of HBV-related liver fibrosis.Gut microbiota actively communicates with bile acids and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of HBV-related liver fibrosis.In the following content,we are going to summarize current evidence of the role of intestinal microbiota,bile acids,and Th17/IL-17 axis in HBV-related liver fibrosis.