The adiponutrin I148M variant is a risk factor for HCV-associated liver cancer in North-African patients. Infect Genet Evol. 2014;21:179-183. [PMID: 24269995 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2013.11.005]

Genetic variations in Interferon-Induced with Helicase C Domain 1: Impact on COVID-19 risk and severity in the Moroccan population

BACKGROUND

The clinical spectrum of COVID-19 varies considerably, ranging from asymptomatic cases to severe disease and even death. This variability can partly be attributed to genetic differences in genes associated with inflammation and immune responses. Among these genes, Interferon Induced with Helicase C Domain 1 (IFIH1), which codes for a cytoplasmic sensor, plays a crucial role in detecting SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA and initiating the antiviral interferon (IFN) response, thereby constituting a key element of innate immune defense.

AIM

This study aims to examine the association between genetic variants in the IFIH1 gene and susceptibility to, as well as the severity of, COVID-19 in the Moroccan population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a case-control study involving 299 COVID-19 positive patients (149 severe, 150 benign) and 145 uninfected-SARS-CoV-2 controls. We determined the genotypes of two functional variants, rs1990760 (Ala946Thr) and rs3747517 (His843Arg), in the IFIH1 gene using predesigned TaqMan real-time allelic discrimination assay.

RESULTS

Our results indicated that the TT genotype of rs1990760 was associated with increased susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 under a recessive model (odds ratio [OR] = 2.22, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.28-3.84, P=0.003). Conversely, the CT genotype appeared to confer protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR=0.58, 95 % CI 0.38-0.91, P=0.016) and COVID-19 severity (OR=0.56, 95 % CI 0.34-0.91, P=0.019). No significant association was found between rs3747517 and the risk of hospitalization or infection susceptibility.

CONCLUSION

These findings underscore the significance of genetic variability in the IFIH1 gene in shaping individual responses to SARS-CoV-2 in the Moroccan population.

The impact of polymorphism in PNPLA3 and TM6SF2 genes on the susceptibility and survival of hepatitis C-related hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

Genetic variants of Patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3) and transmembrane 6 superfamily member 2 (TM6SF2) genes have been reported with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aims to explore the role of The PNPLA3 rs738409 and TM6SF2 rs58542926 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the incidence and survival of HCV-induced HCC in Egyptians.

Methods and results

This case-control study included (120) HCC and (144) hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients. Baseline clinical, laboratory, tumor characteristics data, HCC recurrence, and overall survival were collected. PNPLA3 rs738409 and TM6SF2 rs58542926 polymorphism were detected by TaqMan allelic discrimination assay. We found that HCC patients were significantly older with male predominance. A significant difference between the TT genotypes of TM6SF2 frequency was observed in HCC compared with HCV patients. Moreover, the T allele of TM6SF2 distributions revealed a significant contribution to the different stages of HCC (p=0.03). Both PNPLA3 rs738409 and TM6SF2 rs58542926 variants showed a significant relation with treatment response according to the modified RECIST criteria. Age and diabetes mellitus were the independent factors associated with the development of HCC by multivariate regression analysis.

Conclusions

TM6SF2 rs58542926 polymorphism, not PNPLA3 rs738409, could be implicated in the development of HCV-induced HCC and its progression.

PNPLA3 polymorphisms are associated with raised alanine aminotransferase levels in hepatitis C virus genotype 3

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the leading causes of end-stage liver diseases. This study aimed to determine the association between polymorphisms in interleukin 28B (IL28B), PNPLA3, toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7), nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2 (NOD2) and retinoic inducible gene-I (RIG-I) and HCV genotype and clinical presentation in an Indian population.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 500 patients with chronic HCV were enrolled in 19 centres across India. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood samples, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for IL28B, PNPLA3, TLR7, NOD2 and RIG-I genes were genotyped by real-time PCR using a TaqManSNP genotyping assay.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 45 + 13 years, and the most common genotype observed was HCV genotype 3 (54%), followed by genotype 1 (24%). Although the allelic frequencies of TLR7, NOD2 and RIG-I were in significant disequilibrium in HCV patients compared with those in controls, the PNPLA3 polymorphism correlated significantly with higher viral load and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in genotype 3 patients. Patients with PNPLA3 CG/GG genotypes, along with IL28B genotype CC, had higher levels of ALT than those with other genotypes.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that PNPLA3 polymorphisms are associated with higher ALT levels in HCV genotype 3 patients in India and can help in identifying people who are at greater risk of developing HCV-associated liver diseases.

Genetic variants association with cancers in African-based populations: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Cancer is the single leading cause of human deaths worldwide. The highest incidence and mortality are recorded from Africa. The last two decades have witnessed extensive research which has led to emerging prognosis and new gene therapy technologies. Cancer therapy in Africa is derived with little input from African population data. While a number of cancer studies on African populations have suggested varied susceptible variant, no comprehensive review of these studies has been undertaken to assess their coverage across Africa.

METHODS

This study aimed to undertake a review of all molecular genetic studies that interrogated the genetic variants of cancers in African-based populations. Our search methodology was modelled after the Cochrane systematic review protocol, which included MeSH terms and related keywords.

RESULTS

Ninety-seven articles studying 13 cancer types, were reviewed. 91 articles screened for polymorphisms using PCR-based techniques while three used SNP array, two used whole exome sequencing and one used pyrosequencing. North African (NA) countries undertook 51/97 (53 %) studies on 12/13 (92 %) cancer types while the Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) countries undertook 46/97 (47 %) studies on 7/13 (54 %) cancer types. Twelve out of these thirteen cancer type studies suggested susceptibility to their target polymorphism (p > 0.05). No study replicated or validated variants detected.

CONCLUSION

Research on genetic determinants in African-based population cancer offers translational benefits. We recommended large scale, multi-national genome association studies using high throughput techniques. SSA needs to receive more attention due to the shortage of this type of study and data in the region.

Interplay of PNPLA3 and HSD17B13 Variants in Modulating the Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma among Hepatitis C Patients

A single-nucleotide polymorphism causing a C to G change in the PNPLA3 gene (rs738409) is associated with disease severity and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; the insertion variant rs72613567:TA of the 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 13 (HSD17B13) mitigates this detrimental effect. Our aim was to evaluate if the same holds true in chronic hepatitis C virus infection (HCV). With a case control retrospective study design, we selected 110 patients who developed HCC on a background of HCV infection, matching each patient for sex and age (±30 months) to three HCV-infected, non-HCC patients. All participants underwent genotyping for PNPLA3 and HSD17B13 gene variants. Both univariate and multivariate analyses of risk factors for advanced disease and HCC were performed. Carriage of PNPLA3 G∗ allele was associated with a trend of progressively more severe liver disease, from mild fibrosis to significant fibrosis, cirrhosis, and HCC (p = 0.007). When the HSD17B13:TA status of these patients was taken into account, the abovementioned trend was strengthened among HSD17B13 major allele homozygotes and completely blunted among carriers of the minor allele (p = 0.0003 and 0.953, respectively). In a conditional logistic regression model including diabetes and AST to platelet ratio index among predictor variables, the unfavourable genetic profile characterized by the coexistence of the PNPLA3 minor allele and HSD17B13 major allele (vs. all other possible combinations) was an independent risk factor for HCC (OR = 2.00, 95% CI: 1.23-3.26) together with a history of alcohol abuse. In conclusion, carriage of the combination PNPLA3 minor allele and HSD17B13 major allele may represent a risk factor for HCC among HCV-infected patients. The interplay between the two genes may explain some of the controversy on this topic and may be exploited to stratify HCC risk in hepatitis C.

Virus-associated human cancers in Moroccan population: From epidemiology to prospective research

Eight human viruses have been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as carcinogenic or probably carcinogenic for humans. Infection with high risk human papillomaviruses, hepatitis B and C viruses, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 (HTLV-1), Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), Merkel cell polyomavirus and human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV1) alone or in combination with other agents are the main etiologic factors of many cancers. This review highlights some aspects of virus-associated human cancers, potentially responsible for >14,000 malignancies per year in Morocco. Given that not all individuals infected with these viruses develop cancer, somatic alterations, genetic predisposition, and lifestyle or environmental factors obviously play potentializing roles modulating viral activity. These viral, host genetic signatures and lifestyle interactions may represent a reservoir of biomarkers for early detection, prevention of cancer and rationale-based therapy.

Correlation between PNPLA3 rs738409 polymorphism and hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis of 10,330 subjects

PURPOSE

The correlation between patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3) rs738409 polymorphism and hepatocellular carcinoma was investigated by several pilot studies, but the results of these studies were controversial. Therefore, we performed this study to better assess the relationship between PNPLA3 rs738409 polymorphism and the likelihood of hepatocellular carcinoma.

METHODS

Eligible studies were searched in PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, and Web of Science. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess the relationship between PNPLA3 rs738409 polymorphism and hepatocellular carcinoma.

RESULTS

A total of 17 studies with 10,330 participants were analyzed. A significant association with the likelihood of hepatocellular carcinoma was detected for the PNPLA3 rs738409 polymorphism in dominant (P = 0.0001; OR 0.66; 95% CI 0.53, 0.82), recessive (P < 0.0001; OR 2.32; 95% CI 1.76, 3.06) and allele (P < 0.0001; OR 0.64; 95% CI 0.53, 0.77) comparisons. Further subgroup analyses revealed that the PNPLA3 rs738409 polymorphism was significantly associated with the likelihood of hepatocellular carcinoma in Caucasians (dominant model: P < 0.0001, OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.45, 0.71; recessive model: P < 0.0001, OR 2.74, 95% CI 2.02, 3.71; allele model: P < 0.0001, OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.46, 0.67). However, no positive results were detected in Asians.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicated that the PNPLA3 rs738409 polymorphism may serve as a potential biological marker of hepatocellular carcinoma in Caucasians.

Association between rs738409 polymorphism in patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3) gene and hepatocellular carcinoma susceptibility: Evidence from case-control studies

OBJECTIVES

Numerous studies have investigated the association between patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein-3 (PNPLA3) rs738409 C > G polymorphism and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the results are conflicting and inconclusive among different populations. Thus, a meta-analysis was performed to resolve this inconsistency.

METHODS

Potentially related studies were investigated in PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM) up to June 12, 2018. The odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to explore the strength of the associations. Subgroup analysis was performed according to ethnicity and etiology of cases. Publication bias detection was conducted using Egger's test.

RESULTS

Fourteen case-control studies were included in this meta-analysis, reporting a total of 3527 HCC patients and 7184 controls. Overall results revealed that PNPLA3 rs738409 C > G polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of HCC in the populations studied with various types of etiology under allelic model (OR = 1.59, 95%CI: 1.20-2.10, P = 0.001), dominant model (OR = 1.55, 95%CI: 1.13-2.13, P = 0.007), homozygous model (OR = 2.76, 95%CI: 1.52-5.01, P = 0.001), heterozygous model (OR = 1.31, 95%CI: 1.01-1.69, P = 0.039), and recessive model (OR = 2.42, 95%CI: 1.51-3.87, P < 0.001). A significant increased risk was observed in patients with HCC related to alcoholic cirrhosis under all genetic models (C vs. G: OR = 3.35, 95%CI: 2.14-5.24, P < 0.001; CC vs.GG: OR = 11.02, 95%CI: 4.35-27.88, P < 0.001; CC vs. GC: OR = 2.75, 95%CI: 1.72-4.39, P < 0.001; GG vs. CC + CG: OR = 5.82, 95%CI: 2.93-11.57, P < 0.001; CG + GG vs. CC: OR = 4.08, 95%CI: 2.33-7.13, P < 0.001), with respect to specific etiology of HCC. A significant increased risk was also revealed in patients with HCC due to virus related cirrhosis under allelic model (OR = 1.19, 95%CI: 1.07-1.32, P = 0.001), dominant model (OR = 1.17, 95%CI: 1.02-1.35, P = 0.03), homozygous model (OR = 1.47, 95%CI: 1.17-1.85, P = 0.001), and recessive model (OR = 1.43, 95%CI: 1.15-1.76, P = 0.001). Subgroup analysis on ethnicity revealed that the polymorphism was associated with increased risk of HCC in Caucasians under allelic model (OR = 1.65, 95%CI: 1.12-2.45, P = 0.012), dominant model (OR = 1.63, 95%CI: 1.04-4.25, P = 0.035), homozygous model (OR = 2.88, 95%CI: 1.27-6.55, P = 0.012), and recessive model (OR = 2.48, 95%CI: 1.32-4.65, P = 0.005).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests a significant increased association between PNPLA3 rs738409 C > G polymorphism and HCC risk in the entire populations studied, especially in Caucasians. Therefore, PNPLA3 rs738409 C > G polymorphism may be a risk factor for virus and alcoholic-related HCC.

Donor PNPLA3 rs738409 genotype is a risk factor for graft steatosis. A post-transplant biopsy-based study

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The rs738409 c.444C > G (p.I148M) polymorphism in PNPLA3 is a major factor predisposing to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The aim of the study was to clarify the impact of liver and extrahepatic expression of the PNPLA3 p.148M variant on liver graft steatosis after liver transplantation.

METHODS

Fat content was assessed in liver biopsies from 176 transplant recipients. During a period of 4 ± 1 years after transplantation, 17 patients developed grade 3 steatosis, 14 patients grade 2 steatosis, 56 patients grade 1 steatosis, and 89 patients grade 0 steatosis. The influence of the recipient and donor rs738409 genotype and clinical and laboratory data on liver fat content were analyzed using ordinal logistic regression.

RESULTS

The PNPLA3 rs738409 CC/CG/GG genotype frequencies, respectively, were 0.494/0.449/0.057 in the graft donors and 0.545/0.330/0.125 in the graft recipients. In the multivariate analysis, the presence of the PNPLA3 c.444G allele in donor (OR 1.62; 95%CI 1.12-2.33), post-transplant BMI (OR 1.14; 95%CI 1.07-1.22), diabetes mellitus (OR 1.99; 95%CI 1.22-3.22), and serum triglycerides (OR 1.40; 95%CI 1.11-1.76) were independent risk factors for increased liver graft fat content.

CONCLUSIONS

These data indicate that the liver expression of the PNPLA3 p.148M variant confers a genetic predisposition to liver graft steatosis along with nutritional status and diabetes.

Host genetic factors associated with hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with hepatitis C virus infection: A systematic review

Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients are at risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Individuals at heightened risk could be targeted by intensive follow-up surveillance. We have conducted a systematic review of the literature to identify host genetic predisposition to HCC in HCV-infected patients. A comprehensive search of Medline and Embase databases was performed, and the strength of evidence of associations for each gene on development of HCC was evaluated. We identified 166 relevant studies, relating to 137 different genes, or combinations thereof. Seventeen genes were classified as having "good" evidence of an association, a significant association was observed for 37 genes but this finding had not yet been replicated, 56 genes had mixed or limited evidence of an association, and 27 genes showed no association. IFNL3/4, TNF-α and PNPLA3 genes had the most evidence of an association. There was, however, considerable heterogeneity in study design and data quality. In conclusion, we identified a number of genes with evidence of association with HCC, but also a need for more standardized approaches to address this clinically critical question. It is important to consider the underlying mechanism of these relationships and which are confounded by the presence of other HCC risk factors and response to therapy. We also identified many genes where the evidence of association is contradictory or requires replication, as well as a number where associations have been studied but no evidence found. These findings should help to direct future studies on host genetic predisposition to HCC in HCV-infected patients.

Association between PNPLA3 (rs738409 C>G) variant and hepatocellular carcinoma in Asian chronic hepatitis C patients: A longitudinal study

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Prdevious meta-analyses assess whether or not patatin-like phospholipase domain containing 3 (PNPLA3) (rs738409 C > G) was associated with increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Caucasians patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cirrhosis, these meta-analyses did not provide firm conclusions. Only one cross-sectional study involving Asian patients has previously been conducted to explore this issue. We aim to investigate this in a longitudinal cohort of Asian chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients.

METHODS

We consecutively enrolled 1011 CHC patients who underwent liver biopsy before initiating interferon-based therapy. These patients were followed-up and screened for HCC up to a median of 6.9 years. The influence of rs738409 (GG) genotype on the occurrence of HCC was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method, then according to the multivariate Cox model.

RESULTS

During follow-up, 143 (14.1%) patients developed HCC. rs738409 (GG) genotype was not associated with time-to-HCC development on multivariate Cox regression (P = 0.634). When considering the occurrence of these events over time, rs738409 (GG) genotype did not influence the risk of HCC development (log-rank = 0.12). Among 261 patients with liver cirrhosis, rs738409 (GG) genotype was not associated with time-to-HCC development on multivariate Cox regression (P = 0.737). When considering the occurrence of these events over time, rs738409 (GG) genotype did not influence the risk of HCC development (log-rank = 0.72).

CONCLUSION

In this longitudinal study with liver biopsy to stage liver fibrosis, we affirm there is no influence of the rs738409 (GG) genotype on the occurrence of HCC in Asian CHC patients, including cirrhotic patients.

PNPLA3 polymorphism increases risk for and severity of chronic hepatitis C liver disease

AIM

To examine the association of PNPLA3 polymorphisms in chronic hepatitis C patients and development of liver disease spectrum.

METHODS

Literature was searched systematically from PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane search engines for full-length articles written in English that examined PNPLA3 polymorphism in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. Studies evaluating the association of PNPLA3 polymorphism spectrum (fatty liver, steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma) of CHC were included. Pooled data are reported as OR with 95%CI. Our study endpoint was the risk of the entire liver disease spectrum including: Steatosis/fatty liver, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma in CHC patients with PNPLA3 polymorphisms.

RESULTS

Of 380 studies identified, a total of 53 studies were included for full-text review. Nineteen on chronic hepatitis C were eligible for analysis. Pooled ORs for rs738409 GG compared to CC and CG among patients with fatty liver was 2.214 (95%CI: 1.719-2.853). ORs among advanced fibrosis/cirrhosis were 1.762 (95%CI: 1.258-2.468). Similar odds ratios among hepatocellular carcinoma patients were 2.002 (95%CI: 1.519-2.639). Pooled ORs for rs738409 GG and CG compared to CC among patients with fatty liver were 1.750 (95%CI: 1.542-1.986). Pooled ORs for advanced fibrosis/cirrhosis patients were 1.613 (95%CI: 1.211-2.147). All analyses were homogenous and without publication bias except one. The associations were maintained after adjusting for publication bias and heterogeneity.

CONCLUSION

PNPLA3 polymorphisms have strong association with increased risk and severity of the liver disease spectrum in CHC patients.

A Meta-Analysis of the Association Between the I148M Variant of Patatin-Like Phospholipase Domain Containing 3 Gene and the Presence of Chronic Hepatitis C

CONTEXT

The objective of the current study was to evaluate the association between the I148M variant of patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3) and the presence of Chronic Hepatitis C (CHC) across different populations.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

This study was a meta-analysis of all relevant researches published in the literature from year 2000 to 2015. The odds ratios (ORs) of PNPLA3 allele distributions in CHC patients were analyzed and compared with healthy controls. The meta-analysis Revman 5.2 software was applied for investigating heterogeneity among individual studies and for summarizing all the studies. The meta-analysis was carried out according to the Cochrane Reviewers' Handbook recommendations. A total of 120 clinical trials or reports were retrieved, yet only five trials met the study selection criteria.

RESULTS

Five hospital-based case-control studies were included in the final analysis. The overall frequency of PNPLA3 gene polymorphisms was 20.4% (205/1005) in CHC and 10.23% (53/518) in controls. The summary odds ratio for the association of gene polymorphisms of PNPLA3 with the risk for CHC was determined as 2.20 (95% CI: 1.56 -3.11) and was statistically significant (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The current meta-analysis showed an association between frequency of GG genotype of PNPLA3 and the risk of development of CHC in various populations throughout the world.

Significant Association Between Adiponutrin and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk

ADPN I148M polymorphism has been consistently reported to play a role in liver-associated diseases, such as alcoholic liver disease, chronic hepatitis C, and liver fat and fibrosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. This significant association was also indicated in a series of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) studies, where the significance may be affected due to the small sample sizes. The aim of this study was to reexamine the ADPN-HCC association by use of meta-analysis. Biweekly computer-based literature searches plus manual screening were undertaken in an effort to identify all studies that met the predefined inclusion criteria. The Mantel-Haenszel method was selected to estimate risk effects (odds ratio [OR] and 95% confidence interval [CI]). To examine reliability of the pooled risk effects, we additionally performed sensitivity analysis and publication bias tests. Ten studies (1335 HCC patients and 2927 HCC-free controls) were identified for the meta-analysis. We found significantly increased risk of HCC attributable to presence of ADPN I148M polymorphism, with the highest risk associated with the M/M genotype under the recessive model of inheritance (OR = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.87-2.67, between-study heterogeneity: P = 0.468). The significant increase persisted in Caucasian and African when data were stratified by ethnicity. Subgroup analysis according to source of controls revealed similar risk effects. Our meta-analysis indicates that I148M polymorphism in the ADPN gene may independently contribute to the progression of HCC irrespective of the etiologies.

PNPLA3 I148M associations with liver carcinogenesis in Japanese chronic hepatitis C patients

Aim

To investigate associations between patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing 3 (PNPLA3) genotypes and fibrosis and hepatocarcinogenesis in Japanese chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients.

Methods

Two hundred and thirty-one patients with CHC were examined for PNPLA3 genotypes, liver stiffness measurements (LSM), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from May 2010 to October 2012 at Fujita Health University Hospital. The rs738409 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) encoding for a functional PNPLA3 I148M protein variant was genotyped using a TaqMan predesigned SNP genotyping assay. LSM was determined as the velocity of a shear wave (Vs) with an acoustic radiation force impulse. Vs cut-off values for cirrhosis were set at 1.55 m/s. We excluded CHC patients with a sustained virological response or relapse after interferon treatment.

Results

PNPLA3 genotypes were CC, CG, and GG for 118, 72, and 41 patients, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis selected older age (OR = 1.06; 95% CI: 1.03–1.09; p < 0.0001), higher body mass index (BMI) (OR= 1.12; 95% CI: 1.03–1.22; p = 0.0082), and PNPLA3 genotype GG (OR = 2.07; 95% CI: 0.97–4.42; p = 0.0599) as the factors independently associated with cirrhosis. When 137 patients without past history of interferon treatment were separately assessed, multivariable logistic regression analysis selected older age (OR = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.02–1.09; p = 0.0034), and PNPLA3 genotype GG (OR = 3.35; 95% CI: 1.13–9.91; p = 0.0291) as the factors independently associated with cirrhosis. Multivariable logistic regression analysis selected older age (OR = 1.12; 95% CI: 1.07–1.17; p < 0.0001), PNPLA3 genotype GG (OR = 2.62; 95% CI: 1.15–5.96; p = 0.0218), and male gender (OR = 1.83; 95% CI: 0.90–3.71); p = 0.0936) as the factors independently associated with HCC.

Conclusion

PNPLA3 genotype I148M is one of risk factors for developing HCC in Japanese CHC patients, and is one of risk factors for progress to cirrhosis in the patients without past history of interferon treatment.

Progress in understanding association of PNPLA3 I148M (rs738409) single nucleotide polymorphism with hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatic cirrhosis

Patatin-like phospholipase domain containing 3 (PNPLA3), also called adiponutrin, is mainly expressed in the hepatocellular membrane and involved in lipid metabolism. The rs738409 genetic variant causes an isoleucine-to-methionine substitution at amino acid position 148 (I148M). Recently, genome-wide association studies have described associations of PNPLA3 I148M with plasma liver enzyme levels, steatosis and fibrosis severity. Studies found that PNPLA3 I148M is associated with progression of alcoholic liver cirrhosis, clinical outcome and prognosis of alcohol related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and clinical outcomes of chronic hepatitis C. PNPLA3 I148M plays an important role in liver disease progression, which can be an independent risk factor for HCC.