Rifaximin Prevents T-Lymphocytes and Macrophages Infiltration in Cerebellum and Restores Motor Incoordination in Rats with Mild Liver Damage.

In patients with liver cirrhosis, minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is triggered by a shift in peripheral inflammation, promoting lymphocyte infiltration into the brain. Rifaximin improves neurological function in MHE by normalizing peripheral inflammation. Patients who died with steatohepatitis showed T-lymphocyte infiltration and neuroinflammation in the cerebellum, suggesting that MHE may already occur in these patients.