title: Hemochromatosis gene and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous studies examining the relationship between the C282Y and H63D HFE mutations and presence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have yielded conflicting results. The goal of this study was to systematically evaluate and summarize data on the association between these two variants and the presence of NAFLD.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors searched EMBASE and PUBMED from August 1, 1996 to August 12, 2010. Two investigators independently conducted data abstraction. Ethnic specific weighted prevalence was calculated and pooled odds ratios were estimated using the random effects model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 2542 references, the authors included 16 case-control studies and 14 case-only studies, or 2610 cases and 7298 controls. The majority of the studies came from Caucasian populations (2287 cases and 4275 controls). The weighted prevalence of HFE mutations in cases was comparable to controls. The meta-analysis was restricted to Caucasians only because of the small sample size of non Caucasian participants. The pooled odds ratio for the presence of any HFE genetic variant in cases was 1.03 (95%CI: 0.90, 1.17; I(2): 65.8%, 95%CI: 38.5, 81.0). The presence of other genotypes and secondary analyses yielded similar non significant findings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our systematic review does not support an association between the HFE genetic variants and the presence of NAFLD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Ruben
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hernaez
authors.forename: Edwina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yeung
authors.forename: Jeanne M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Kris V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Kowdley
authors.forename: Frederick L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Brancati
authors.forename: Wen Hong Linda
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Kao
mesh_terms: D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D000071020:Hemochromatosis Protein; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009154:Mutation; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C103673:HFE protein, human; D000071020:Hemochromatosis Protein; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D008565:Membrane Proteins