Association of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease with gastrointestinal infections: insights from National Inpatient Sample Database.

Objectives: The study aimed to compare the risk of gastrointestinal infections among patients with and without metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD).

Methods: This was a population-based, retrospective, observational study using data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS), the largest all-payer US inpatient care database.

Setting: Hospitalisation of adults aged ≥18 years old admitted in 2020 was identified using the NIS. Patients were stratified by the presence and absence of MAFLD.

Participants: 26.4 million adults aged ≥18 years old were included in the study. Patients younger than 18 and those with missing demographic or mortality data were excluded.

Primary and secondary outcomes: Primary outcome was to assess the overall risk of gastrointestinal infections in patients with and without MAFLD. Secondary outcomes were demographics and comorbidities stratified by the presence or absence of gastrointestinal infection, and the risk of specific gastrointestinal pathogens.

Results: Of 26.4 million patients admitted in 2020, 755 910 (2.85%) had the presence of MAFLD. There was a higher prevalence of bacterial gastrointestinal infections in patients with MAFLD than those without (1.6% vs 0.9%, p<0.001). The incidence of Clostridioides difficile (1.3% vs 0.8%, p<0.001), Escherichia coli (0.3% vs 0.01%, p<0.001), and Salmonella (0.07% vs 0.03%, p<0.001) was higher in patients with MAFLD. The presence of MAFLD was associated with higher odds of developing gastrointestinal infections (adjusted OR (aOR) -1.75, 95% CI -1.68 to 1.83, p<0.001). After adjusting for confounders, results remained statistically significant (aOR -1.36, 95% CI - 1.30-1.42, p<0.001).

Conclusion: Even after adjusting for confounding factors, our study demonstrates an increased risk of gastrointestinal infections in patients with MAFLD, specifically of C. difficile, E. coli, and Salmonella. The immune and microbiota changes seen within MAFLD potentially contribute to the increased risk of gastrointestinal infections.