Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), But not Its Susceptibility Gene Variants, Influences the Decrease of Kidney...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nephrology
• Hepatology
• Genetics

Background:

• Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is linked to kidney disease in children.
• The influence of NAFLD susceptibility genes on this association is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between NAFLD, kidney function, and specific genetic variants in overweight/obese children.
• To identify independent predictors of renal dysfunction in this population.

Main Methods:

• Genotyping of NAFLD susceptibility genes (PNPLA3, TM6SF2, GCKR, MBOAT7) in 230 overweight/obese children.
• Assessment of kidney function via estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and microalbuminuria.
• Comparison of kidney function between children with and without NAFLD.

Main Results:

• Children with NAFLD exhibited higher prevalence of reduced eGFR and microalbuminuria compared to those without NAFLD.
• The PNPLA3 G allele was associated with lower eGFR, but only in children with NAFLD.
• NAFLD, not the PNPLA3 variant, was identified as the independent predictor of renal dysfunction after adjusting for confounders.

Conclusions:

• Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is the primary driver of kidney function decline in overweight/obese children.
• The PNPLA3 rs738409 variant has a limited role in predicting renal dysfunction in this cohort.