RESUMO Nos últimos anos, um volume crescente de evidências indica que os microrganismos estão envolvidos na manutenção da saúde humana e também estão relacionados a várias doenças, tanto intestinais quanto extraintestinais. Alterações na microbiota intestinal parecem ser um elemento chave na patogênese de doenças hepáticas e gastrointestinais, incluindo doença hepática gordurosa não-alcoólica, doença hepática alcoólica, cirrose hepática, doenças inflamatórias intestinais, síndrome do intestino irritável e diarreia associada ao Clostridium difficile. Em 2019, a Sociedade Brasileira de Hepatologia (SBH) em colaboração com o Núcleo Brasileiro para Estudo do Helicobacter pylori e Microbiota (NBEHPM) e a Federação Brasileira de Gastroenterologia (FBG) realizaram um encontro exclusivamente voltado para a discussão sobre microbiota e uso de prebióticos, probióticos e simbióticos em doenças hepáticas e gastrointestinais. Este texto resume os principais pontos discutidos durante o evento, e tem a intenção de fornecer informações práticas sobre o assunto, abordando as descobertas mais recentes e indicando áreas para estudos futuros.

ABSTRACT Over the last years, there is growing evidence that microorganisms are involved in the maintenance of our health and are related to various diseases, both intestinal and extraintestinal. Changes in the gut microbiota appears to be a key element in the pathogenesis of hepatic and gastrointestinal disorders, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, liver cirrhosis, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and Clostridium difficile - associated diarrhea. In 2019, the Brazilian Society of Hepatology (SBH) in cooperation with the Brazilian Nucleus for the Study of Helicobacter Pylori and Microbiota (NBEHPM), and Brazilian Federation of Gastroenterology (FBG) sponsored a joint meeting on gut microbiota and the use of prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics in gastrointestinal and liver diseases. This paper summarizes the proceedings of the aforementioned meeting. It is intended to provide practical information about this topic, addressing the latest discoveries and indicating areas for future studies.

ABSTRACT During SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2) pandemic, the etiologic agent of COVID-19, several studies described the involvement of other tissues besides the respiratory tract, such as the gastrointestinal tract. Angiotensin-converting enzyme-2, the functional virus host cell receptor expressed by organs and tissues, seems to have an important role in the pathophysiology and presentation of this disease. In pancreas, this receptor is expressed in both exocrine glands and islets, being a potential target for the virus and subsequent pancreatic injury. There are few articles reporting pancreatic injury in COVID-19 patients but most of them do not report acute pancreatitis. Diagnosing acute pancreatitis secondary to SARS-CoV-2 infection is challenging due to the need to rule out other etiologies as well the notable heterogeneous presentations. Herein we report the case of a patient with COVID-19 who developed severe acute pancreatitis.