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Non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is highly prevalent in Western countries as well as in some Latin American countries such as Brazil, Chile and Mexico. In fact, it has been estimated that the prevalence of NAFLD ranged from 17 to 33% in the general population of Western countries. Besides, it has been identified some ethnic differences in the epidemiology of NAFLD. For example, the prevalence of steatosis in United States, assessed by magnetic resonance spectroscopy, was highest in Hispanics (45%), followed by whites (33%), and African Americans (24%). Interestingly, the genetic variants contributing to differences in hepatic fat content have been identified in a recent study carried-out in a genome-wide association scan of nonsynonymous sequence variations. This investigation found an allele in PNPLA3 (rs738409[G], encoding I148M) that was strongly associated with increased hepatic fat levels and with hepatic inflammation. The allele was most common in Hispanics, the group most susceptible to NAFLD. This information clearly emphasizes the importance of NAFLD in this population.

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2011-07-13   |   543 visitas   |   Evalua este artículo 0 valoraciones

Vol. 9 Núm.1. Julio-Septiembre 2010 Pags. Ann Hepatol 2010; Supl.(1)