AUTHOR=Qin Xiaojing , Wang Shuang , Yan Zhanyao , Zhao Ninghui , Yao Jia 

TITLE=The role of bacterial outer membrane vesicles in inflammatory response of acute-on-chronic liver failure

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1608137

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2025.1608137

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a clinical syndrome that manifests as acute deterioration of liver function due to a series of etiologies and triggers in patients with pre-existing chronic liver diseases. Systemic inflammatory response is the major feature of ACLF. Gut microbiota dysbiosis impairs the intestinal barrier, facilitating the translocation of microorganisms and their metabolites into the liver and thereby exacerbating liver inflammation and disease progression. Recent studies have revealed that bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) derived from gut microbiota act as key mediators in microbiota-host cell communication. This article elucidates the possible roles of OMVs in ACLF inflammation and their underlying mechanisms.