Association between MBOAT7 rs641738 polymorphism and non-alcoholic fatty liver in overweight or obese children

C Zusi; A Morandi; A Maguolo; M Corradi; S Costantini; A Mosca; A Crudele; A Mantovani; A Alisi; E Miraglia Del Giudice; G Targher; C Maffeis

doi:10.1016/j.numecd.2021.01.020

Association between MBOAT7 rs641738 polymorphism and non-alcoholic fatty liver in overweight or obese children

Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2021 May 6;31(5):1548-1555. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2021.01.020. Epub 2021 Feb 4.

Authors

C Zusi¹, A Morandi², A Maguolo², M Corradi², S Costantini², A Mosca³, A Crudele⁴, A Mantovani⁵, A Alisi⁴, E Miraglia Del Giudice⁶, G Targher⁵, C Maffeis⁷

Affiliations

¹ Pediatric Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders Unit, Department of Surgery, Dentistry, Pediatrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital of Verona, Verona, Italy; Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University Hospital of Verona, Verona, Italy.
² Pediatric Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders Unit, Department of Surgery, Dentistry, Pediatrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital of Verona, Verona, Italy.
³ Hepatology, Gastroenterology and Nutrition Unit, "Bambino Gesù"Children's Hospital and IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
⁴ Research Unit of Molecular Genetics of Complex Phenotypes, "Bambino Gesù" Children's Hospital and IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
⁵ Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University Hospital of Verona, Verona, Italy.
⁶ Department of Woman, Child, and General and Specialized Surgery, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy.
⁷ Pediatric Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders Unit, Department of Surgery, Dentistry, Pediatrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital of Verona, Verona, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 33810963
DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2021.01.020

Abstract

Background and aim: The association between non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and the variant rs641738 within the membrane bound O-acyltransferase domain-containing 7 (MBOAT7) gene is currently uncertain, especially in the paediatric population. We examined whether there is an association between this genetic variant and NAFL in a large multicentre, hospital-based cohort of Italian overweight/obese children.

Methods and results: We studied 1760 overweight or obese children [mean age (SD): 11.1(2.9) years, z-body mass index (zBMI) 3.2(0.9)], who underwent ultrasonography for the diagnosis of NAFL. A subgroup of these children (n = 182) also underwent liver biopsy. Genotyping of the MBOAT7 rs641738 polymorphism was performed by TaqMan-Based RT-PCR system in each subject. Overall, 1131 (64.3%) children had ultrasound-detected NAFL; 528 (30%) had rs641738 CC genotype, 849 (48.2%) had rs641738 CT genotype, and 383 (21.8%) had rs641738 TT genotype, respectively. In the whole cohort, the interaction of MBOAT7 genotypes with zBMI was not associated with NAFL after adjustment for age, sex, serum triglycerides, serum alanine aminotransferase levels and patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein-3 (PNPLA3) genotype (adjusted-odds ratio 1.02 [95% CI 0.98-1.06]). Similarly, no association was found between MBOAT7 genotypes and NAFL after stratification by obesity status. MBOAT7 genotypes were not associated with the presence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis or the stage of liver fibrosis in a subgroup of 182 children with biopsy-proven NAFLD.

Conclusions: The results of this study did not show any significant contribution of MBOAT7 rs641738 polymorphism to the risk of having either NAFL on ultrasonography or NASH on histology in a large hospital-based cohort of Italian overweight/obese children.

Keywords: Genetics; NAFLD; Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; Obesity; Paediatrics.

Copyright © 2021 The Italian Diabetes Society, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Publication types

Multicenter Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Acyltransferases / genetics*
Adolescent
Age Factors
Child
Child, Preschool
Female
Genetic Association Studies
Genetic Predisposition to Disease
Humans
Italy / epidemiology
Liver Cirrhosis / diagnosis
Liver Cirrhosis / epidemiology
Liver Cirrhosis / genetics*
Male
Membrane Proteins / genetics*
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / diagnosis
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / epidemiology
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / genetics*
Pediatric Obesity / diagnosis
Pediatric Obesity / epidemiology*
Phenotype
Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide*
Prevalence
Risk Assessment
Risk Factors

Substances

Membrane Proteins
Acyltransferases
MBOAT7 protein, human