title: Pediatric fatty liver disease: role of ethnicity and genetics.
abstract: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) comprehends a wide range of conditions, encompassing from fatty liver or steatohepatitis with or without fibrosis, to cirrhosis and its complications. NAFLD has become the most common form of liver disease in childhood as its prevalence has more than doubled over the past 20 years, paralleling the increased prevalence of childhood obesity. It currently affects between 3% and 11% of the pediatric population reaching the rate of 46% among overweight and obese children and adolescents. The prevalence of hepatic steatosis varies among different ethnic groups. The ethnic group with the highest prevalence is the Hispanic one followed by the Caucasian and the African-American. This evidence suggests that there is a strong genetic background in the predisposition to fatty liver. In fact, since 2008 several common gene variants have been implicated in the pathogenesis of fatty liver disease. The most important is probably the patatin like phospholipase containing domain 3 gene (PNPLA3) discovered by the Hobbs' group in 2008. This article reviews the current knowledge regarding the role of ethnicity and genetics in pathogenesis of pediatric fatty liver.
authors: Pierluigi Marzuillo, Emanuele Miraglia del Giudice, Department of Women and Children and General and Specialized Surgery, Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli, 80138 Naples, Italy.
authors: Pierluigi
authors: P
authors: Marzuillo
authors: Pierluigi Marzuillo, Emanuele Miraglia del Giudice, Department of Women and Children and General and Specialized Surgery, Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli, 80138 Naples, Italy.
authors: Emanuele
authors: E
authors: Miraglia del Giudice
authors: Pierluigi Marzuillo, Emanuele Miraglia del Giudice, Department of Women and Children and General and Specialized Surgery, Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli, 80138 Naples, Italy.
authors: Nicola
authors: N
authors: Santoro
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000235:genetics; D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D053305:Apolipoprotein C-III / Q000235:genetics; D002648:Child; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000235:genetics*; D013186:Farnesyl-Diphosphate Farnesyltransferase / Q000235:genetics; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics*; D005819:Genetic Markers; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008049:Lipase / Q000235:genetics; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D010375:Pedigree; D010641:Phenotype; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D000217:Acyltransferases; D054512:Phospholipases A2, Calcium-Independent
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D053305:Apolipoprotein C-III; D013186:Farnesyl-Diphosphate Farnesyltransferase; D005819:Genetic Markers; D008049:Lipase; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C485100:GCKR protein, human; C533682:PNPLA3 protein, human; D000217:Acyltransferases; D054512:Phospholipases A2, Calcium-Independent
keywords: Apolipoprotein C3 gene; Ethnicity; Farnesyl-diphosphate farnesyltransferase 1; Glucokinase regulatory protein; Insulin resistance; Non alcoholic fatty liver disease; Obesity; Patatin like phospholipase containing domain 3 gene