title: A Perspective on Metabolic Syndrome and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.
abstract: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasingly being diagnosed worldwide and is strongly associated with the features of metabolic syndrome. In this brief review, we discuss two key questions relating to NAFLD and metabolic syndrome: (1) Does NAFLD predict the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome, or is it simply an epiphenomenon? (2) Are there differences between metabolic syndrome-associated NAFLD and NAFLD associated with genetic variation in the patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing 3 (PNPLA3) gene? Accumulating evidence indicates that NAFLD is not simply the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome, but is a pathogenic determinant of the syndrome. Genetic variation within the PNPLA3 gene (e.g., I148M homozygosity) confers a higher risk of developing more severe histological features of NAFLD, but a lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome traits. We suggest that future research is now required to elucidate whether both metabolic syndrome-related NAFLD and PNPLA3-related NAFLD produce the same risk of developing extrahepatic complications.
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University and Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata of Verona , Verona, Italy .
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Targher
authors.affiliation: 2 Nutrition and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton , Southampton, United Kingdom .|3 Southampton National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton , Southampton, United Kingdom .
authors.forename: Christopher D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Byrne
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008049:Lipase / Q000235:genetics; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D010641:Phenotype; D011379:Prognosis; D065840:Protective Factors; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D000217:Acyltransferases; D054512:Phospholipases A2, Calcium-Independent
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008049:Lipase; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C533682:PNPLA3 protein, human; D000217:Acyltransferases; D054512:Phospholipases A2, Calcium-Independent