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Detection of patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease among egyptian patients

The Egyptian Journal of Internal Medicine volume 31, pages 273–280 (2019)Cite this article

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Abstract

Background and aim

Recently, studies have identified patain-like phospholipase domain containing 3 (PNPLA3), which is localized in the endoplasmic reticulum and at the surface of lipid droplets. The association of PNPLA3 polymorphisms with fatty liver and histological severity of NAFLD was shown in many studies. We aimed to investigate the association of PNPLA3 with the development and severity of NAFLD in an overweight and obese Egyptian population.

Patients and methods

Eighty overweight and obese patients with NAFLD were enrolled in the study. Patients were divided into 2 subgroups according to results of liver biopsy: group 1 included 30 patients with simple steatosis, and group 2 included 50 patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). In addition to 10 age-matched healthy subjects served as a control group. All NAFLD patients underwent a confirmatory biopsy. Laboratory investigations included fasting glucose, liver enzymes and lipid profile were done. Abdominal ultrasound was performed and PNPLA3 was detected in each patient by Quantitative ELISA.

Results

Levels of PNPLA3 were higher in NAFLD patients compared with controls (85.70±76.42 vs 3.10±2.11 respectively) and levels were also higher in NASH than simple steatosis (125.09±71.78 vs 20.06±8.47 vs 3.10±2.11 respectively, P<0.001). There were highly significant positive correlations between the PNPLA3 and waist circumference, BMI, ALT, AST, total cholesterol and TGs in the NAFLD patients.

Conclusions

Our study confirmed the association of PNPLA3 with the incidence of NAFLD and progression to NASH in the Egyptian patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

    Kadry M. El Saeed, Ossama A. Ahmed & Eman M. Fahmy

  2. Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt, 11566

    Mohamed O. Khalifa MD

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  1. Kadry M. El Saeed
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  2. Ossama A. Ahmed
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Correspondence to Mohamed O. Khalifa MD.

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El Saeed, K.M., Ahmed, O.A., Khalifa, M.O. et al. Detection of patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease among egyptian patients. Egypt J Intern Med 31, 273–280 (2019). https://doi.org/10.4103/ejim.ejim_43_18

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