Genetic and Metabolic Characteristics of Lean Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in a Korean Health Examinee Cohort
Huiyul Park, Eileen L. Yoon, Goh Eun Chung, Eun Kyung Choe, Jung Ho Bae, Seung Ho Choi, Mimi Kim, Woochang Hwang, Hye‐Lin Kim, Sun Young Yang, Dae Won Jun
Abstract
Background/Aims: The pathophysiology of lean nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is unclear but has been shown to be associated with more diverse pathogenic mechanisms than that of obese NAFLD. We investigated the characteristics of genetic or metabolic lean NAFLD in a health checkup cohort. Methods: . Single nucleotide polymorphisms were analyzed using genotyping arrays. Results: genetic variation in approximately 32.1% of cases. Multivariate risk factor analysis showed that metabolic risk factors, genetic risk variants, and waist circumference were independent risk factors for lean NAFLD. Conclusions: In a considerable number of patients, lean NAFLD did not appear to be associated with known genetic or metabolic risk factors. Further studies are required to investigate additional risk factors and gain a more comprehensive understanding of lean NAFLD.