title: The Prevalence and Pathobiology of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Patients of Different Races or Ethnicities.
abstract: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is emerging as the most common cause of liver disease in the United States. The prevalence varies dramatically when comparing individuals of different races and ethnicities. Rates are highest in Hispanic patient populations compared with non-Hispanic whites and African Americans, despite similar rates of the metabolic syndrome and risk factors. This observation remains poorly characterized; variations in genes that effect lipid metabolism may play a role. This article describes the prevalence of NAFLD in patients of different races or ethnicities, and discusses pathophysiologic mechanisms that may explain why these differences exist.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Montefiore Einstein Liver Center, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 111 East 210th Street, Rosenthal 2 Red Zone, Bronx, NY 10467, USA.
authors.forename: Harmit S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kalia
authors.affiliation: Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, Columbia University Medical Center, PH-14, 622 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA. Electronic address: pg2011@cumc.columbia.edu.
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Gaglio
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008049:Lipase / Q000235:genetics; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000208:ethnology; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000217:Acyltransferases; D054512:Phospholipases A2, Calcium-Independent
chemical_list: D008049:Lipase; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C533682:PNPLA3 protein, human; D000217:Acyltransferases; D054512:Phospholipases A2, Calcium-Independent
keywords: Ethnicity; NAFLD; PNPLA; Race