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NAFLD and renal function in children: is there a genetic link?

Anna Di Sessa1, Stefano Guarino1, Antonio Paride Passaro1

  • 1Department of Woman Child and of General and Specialized Surgery, Università Degli Studi Della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Napoli, Italy.

Expert Review of Gastroenterology & Hepatology
|April 14, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Genetic factors may link childhood Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Understanding this connection could help manage cardiometabolic risk in children with NAFLD.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nephrology
  • Hepatology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) share a cardiometabolic burden.
  • Genetic polymorphisms in NAFLD, such as PNPLA3 and TM6SF2, are suspected to influence renal function.
  • The exact shared pathogenic mechanisms between NAFLD and CKD remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the potential genetic link between NAFLD and CKD specifically in the pediatric population.
  • To synthesize existing evidence on the association between NAFLD genetic factors and kidney function in children.
  • To address the existing disputes regarding this association in childhood.

Main Methods:

  • Comprehensive literature review focusing on genetic associations between NAFLD and CKD in children.
  • Analysis of studies examining major NAFLD-associated gene polymorphisms (PNPLA3, TM6SF2, HSD17B13, MBOAT7-TMC4) and their impact on renal function.
  • Synthesis of adult and pediatric data to evaluate the genetic link in childhood.

Main Results:

  • Adult data strongly support an association between NAFLD and CKD.
  • Evidence for a genetic link in pediatric populations is emerging but debated.
  • Specific NAFLD gene variants are hypothesized to play a role in the development of CKD in children.

Conclusions:

  • A potential genetic link between NAFLD and CKD in children is an important area of research.
  • Further investigation is needed to elucidate the precise genetic mechanisms involved.
  • Identifying these genetic links could lead to improved strategies for managing cardiometabolic risk in affected children.

Keywords:
Childrengeneticinjurykidneyliver

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