Modification of small bowel microflora in chronic alcoholics with alcoholic liver disease.

The bacterial flora of the gastrointestinal tract plays an essential role in human physiology. Our aim was to study the pattern of change in bacterial microflora in the small intestines of patients with chronic alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Patients of ALD made up the test group and nonalcoholics served as controls. Duodenal (D2) biopsies were obtained by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and processed immediately for microbiological analysis. Marked qualitative and quantitative alterations of small intestinal microflora was documented in chronic alcoholics. There was increased bacterial growth of both gram-positive cocci and gram-negative bacilli in the ALD group.